Catnapping
by Kleptokitten
Summary: Stealing Hermione Granger's new cat, Boots, will help Draco with his financial problems, depression, and rehabilitation in the muggle world, right? He seems to think so, at least.
1. Chapter 1: The Unwelcome Visitor

**Summary: Draco is sentenced to live in the muggle world without magic for 5 years. With few connections to the magical world, and a reluctance to integrate into this new world, his loneliness begins to take its toll. With the appearance of a mysterious orange kitty, followed shortly by its spunky owner, his world takes a turn for the better. Or, at least he thinks so at first, until he gets caught up in an elaborate lie that could ruin everything he cares about.  
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**A/N: This is my very first fanfic, so please go easy! (Update: I've edited this first chapter, since it was written when my writing was really really rusty.)  
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**Disclaimer: And of course J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter**

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><p>Chapter 1: The Unwelcome Visitor<p>

"Scratch-scratch."

Draco Malfoy sipped his coffee (black, the only way to drink coffee, in his opinion) and vaguely acknowledged the sound. The Daily Prophet had a stronger hold on his attention at that moment. The main headliner read: 'Lucious Malfoy released from Azkaban and to live under house-arrest'.

He briefly scanned through the first page of the article, stopping at a picture of his mother. Dressed in her finest robes and seated elegantly in what was left of their sitting room, her photograph-self gracefully moved to sip her tea. There was a quote underneath it. "_No matter our past, we are a family. It will be wonderful to begin to feel like one again with his return."_ His mother was still holding things together for the family. She'd always been the strongest of them.

"Scratch-scratch."

Reluctantly, he raised his head in an attempt to locate the sound. He glanced at the nearby window where a decent view of central London greeted him. There were no birds in sight.

"Scratch-scratch." This time, he pinpointed the source as the door of his small apartment.

"Go away, whoever you are!" He shouted half-heartedly.

"Scratch-scratch-scratch."

Sighing in frustration, he set down the paper and walked slowly up to the door as he tied his robe closed over his pajama bottoms (bare torsos generally being considered inappropriate attire for answering doors). The door was thrown open in a quick motion. "Can I help you?!"

Really, he didn't know what he'd been expecting, but it certainly wasn't the something small and orange fleeing past his feet and into his living room. He spun on his heel. "What the-" he started. His eyes settled onto what was obviously a cat, albeit a half hidden one, huddled under his favorite chair. Approaching the chair hesitantly, he proceeded to kneel down. "Here kitty, kitty, kitty," he whispered, shuffling closer and closer.

The cat retreated further under the chair. "Damn".

Draco lay sideways on the ground in his effort to reach the cat. _It's far to early for this,_ he thought to himself, sighing in annoyance. Soft fur brushed his fingertips. "Aha!" He cried as he finally grabbed it by the scruff of its neck. It dug its claws into the ground as he pulled it out. Once it was freed, Draco did a double-take. What had seemed small as it ran past him in a blur was definitely not when held motionless in front of him. Its bottom feet were hanging freely so that he had a good view of it. Huge. Orange. Mangy. _Reminds me of one of those burly Weasley boys.  
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Despite the time he'd spent living here, he didn't know anyone on his floor, or even in the whole 12 story complex, for that matter, much less who's cat this was. And he didn't know the first thing about cats. Was he even holding it properly? It was scowling fairly heavily, and so he assumed that no, he was not holding it properly. As he pulled it closer and placed one of his arms underneath its feet it stopped squirming. A scratch behind its ears and he was rewarded with the beginnings of a purr.

Walking past the dining table where the momentarily forgotten Prophet lay, he stopped at the refrigerator still holding the mangy thing.

The mystery cat was set up with some milk, and it set to work lapping it up while Draco debated what to do. He absentmindedly stroked its fur (he was pleasantly surprised at its softness) as he considered his options. He could wander the halls looking for the owner, or...he could assume it had been abandoned and take it to a shelter. Or he could keep it for himself. Once the cat finished, he went to pick it up again. In doing so, he noticed the sleeves on his robe. They were covered in orange cat hair. _Oh no you don't..._ He thought, snapping back to reality. Grabbing it, he threw the poor thing unceremoniously out his front door.

"Go home." The cat stared mournfully at him. "I know you know where it is." He shut the door and headed back to the kitchen, trying to remember what he had been doing before he'd been paid a visit by his furry new friend.

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><p>A half hour later, Draco was putting the finishing touches on his appearance. He wore a secondhand suit that didn't fit him quite properly. He looked fairly decent though -If he didn't lift his arms at all. Or move his legs. Running his comb through, he tried once more to smooth his hair into a neat side part. It didn't want to obey without the aid of magic, and a stubborn clump stuck up towards the back. He finally gave up and turned away.<p>

He grabbed his overcoat, his umbrella, and his briefcase, and headed to the door balancing them precariously. As he walked through the front door, he tripped over some unknown object and almost dropped his umbrella.

"Nice save", a voice called from down the hall. Glancing a few doors over, he and saw a young woman who had just come out of her apartment locking up. She was pretty, with long brown hair and cute figure that was being shown off in a form fitting dress. Giving her a polite smile, he proceeded to close and lock his own door. He immediately headed down the hallway to the elevator, hoping to discourage the girl from initiating any more contact. He couldn't have that.

To his dismay, she fell into step beside him. "So, are you new around here? I haven't seen you before."

"No."

She waited, hoping he would elaborate. When he didn't, she said, "oh, well, I guess we've just missed each running into each other so far. How long have you been here?"

"About six months. I don't get out much." Now they were riding in the same elevator. There was no escape. He made an effort not to look at her at all.

"I see. Well, I know it's long overdue, but I'm Amelia. I moved in a couple months ago. Nice to meet you, neighbor." She stuck out her hand in a friendly gesture. He took it awkwardly, still not looking at her.

"Draco." He pressed the ground floor button.

"Unusual name, that. Is it foreign?"

He sighed. "You could say that." _You have no idea how foreign of a world it is..._

"You off to your job?" She was pretty, but she could not take a hint, and it was getting on his nerves.

"No. An Interview." He looked desperately at the doors waiting for them to open.

"Oh," She said her eyes widening. "Well, then good luck! I hope it goes well!" The doors opened. At this heartfelt wish, his intention of immediately dashing off was replaced with a warm feeling of gratitude for the first kind words he'd heard in months.

"Thanks. Me too." He gave her a sincere smile, his cheek muscles rusty from non-use. _Then _he dashed off.

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><p>The interview had not gone well. It was probably influenced by his bad mood (Did the prophet really have to publish that particular article today?), or the orange cat hair that had somehow ended up on his suit, but he knew it was his lack of experience that was ultimately to blame. He approached his apartment complex weary and unfocused, and almost ran into a girl carrying several moving boxes. "Sorry," he muttered as he moved around her. She stared at him strangely. He caught sight his reflection in the glass doors of the complex as he approached and saw how haggard he looked. No wonder she was staring. He walked through and didn't bother holding the door open for her.<p>

Once inside his apartment, he headed straight to the liquor cabinet. He settled on the couch with a glass of gin, turned on the T.V, and began flipping channels. It was just past noon though, and nothing he liked was on. After draining his cup, he turned off the television. What he needed was a good nap. He rolled onto his back and soon he had drifted off, snoring slightly.

Soft, padded feet made their way over to his sleeping form. They jumped lightly onto the couch. They kneaded a bit. And then they too settled down for a good nap.

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><p><strong>AN: Hope you liked it! Please Read and Review!**


	2. Chapter 2: The Undesirable Neighbor

**Edit: Hey guys! This chapter has been redone, slightly. Hope you find it easier to read than before. Or if this is your first time reading, enjoy :)**

**Don't forget to review every chapter! I will take suggestions and critiques seriously, and like this chapter here, will edit after its initial publishing.  
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Chapter 2: The Undesirable Neighbor

Hermione stared at the blond head through the glass doors as it moved farther and farther away.

She had thought it was Malfoy when she first glanced at him on the sidewalk outside the building, and then immediately dismissed the idea. It was the blond hair that had caught her off guard. Not many people had that shocking hue, but it was logical that the Malfoy family was not the only family in Britain that possessed it. And there was no reason why he should be there. This was a muggle apartment building, fairly far from Diagon Alley. If it had been him, she would expect him to have shown some recognition upon seeing her and displayed his infamous sneer.

When the man in question left her standing outside with her arms full of boxes, not even bothering to hold the door open, she began to doubt her former logic. When she watched him saunter slowly towards the elevator doors in the exact way the Draco Malfoy she knew walked, she began to fear. It wasn't until he turned to face the closing doors that she finally saw his face and _knew._

The shock of this discovery held her outside the doors, watching the floor numbers above the elevator light up as it reached each one in succession. She held her breath, hoping it would stop before her floor. Or continue right past it. Her heart sank as slowed down and finally stopped on the 9.

Distancing herself from the Wizarding world was turning out to be a lot more difficult than she planned.

_Pull yourself together, Hermione!_ She shook her head in disbelief, and looked up to see an older man holding the door open for her. He stared at her blankly, probably wondering why she wasn't walking through.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I'm quite distracted today, thank you so much!" She hustled through the doors, and made her way to the elevator. She figured enough time would have passed that she wouldn't run into Malfoy in the hallway.

_Ugh_, she thought, as realization hit her. _I WILL be running into him eventually. It's unavoidable._

She made it to her room without incident though, and let the boxes drop with a thump (and the sound of something shattering, but what did she care?) to the ground. Malfoy was just the cherry on top of an already horrible day.

Moving days, as a rule, are never a joyful event. At best, they're physically tiring, full of coercing friends into helping, mental exhaustion from unpacking, and lovely sore muscles the next day. Hermione's was spent alone, single-handedly carrying all her belongings to the 9th floor (without magic), and, worst of all, Boots was missing.

It wouldn't have worried her normally. Boots was an indoor and outdoor cat, and could fend for himself. But he had never been here before, and this was far from his former home, a flat overlooking Diagon Alley. He wouldn't be able to find his way back to her old place, as some cats do when running away from a new home. Not unless he suddenly gained the ability to cast a spell and open the Leaky Cauldron's magical door to Diagon Alley. Unlikely.

She looked at the cardboard cat carrier she had thought would contain him. The backside was completely scratched open. _I knew I should have reinforced it with magic..._

Tomorrow she would put up signs on the building's community billboard. Perhaps someone had seen him as he made his escape. She certainly wouldn't go knocking door to door on her floor asking. That would be a surefire way to run into Malfoy.

Her boxes lay in piles all around the floor, the most recently brought up ones taking up the last large open area. All she wanted to do was lay on the carpet in a heap and shed a few well-earned tears. Instead, she went into the kitchen and sat at the table that had come with the apartment, picking up the Daily Prophet that she had snagged that morning on Diagon Alley. She hadn't had time to read it yet, and groaned as she saw it was Lucius Malfoy's face who stared out from the front cover. _Great, another reminder of my lovely neighbor_.

She opened the Prophet up and was rewarded with her own face glaring back at her. Realization hit her as she recognized the hat and scarf that adorned her in the picture. This particular photograph had been "the straw that broke the camel's back". Colin Creevey, now a well known photographer for the Prophet and various magazines had snapped it, and she in turn had threatened to snap his camera in half. Upon returning home, she had immediately looked into apartments in muggle London.

The media followed her every move now, along with most of the other war heroes. Living in Diagon Alley had made things worse, but moving to another wizarding community would only have lessened the problem slightly. Ottery St. Catchpole, her main option for magical dwellings, had other things she was trying to avoid; Namely, a certain redheaded friend who couldn't understand that she didn't want his attentions any more than she wanted the media's. Six months of dating had shown her that he was clingy, monopolized her time, and wasn't in the least understanding of her. She hadn't spent 7 years pining after him to give up after so short a time, though. Ronald Weasley was the love of her life - at least, that's what she kept telling herself. One year later, after many ups and downs, but mostly downs, she finally admitted the truth to herself. Regardless of expectations (her own or the Wizarding world's), this was not how one was supposed to feel when with the love of their life. The real problem, however, was finding a way of breaking things off without it resulting in her murder by Molly Weasley.

When she had finally worked up the courage (and the proper way of executing things to avoid a homicide), Ron persisted in being thick-headed by refusing to accept her decision.

The morning the photo was snapped was the same morning she had met with Ron for coffee. He had fairly begged her, telling her he just wanted to "catch up" since it had been nearly four months since they ended things. There was a nagging feeling that "catching up" wasn't what he had in mind, but she agreed to meet him, hoping that her instinct was wrong.

As much as dating life with Ron was taxing, life in general without Ron was definitely missing something. Enough time had passed that she could think fondly of their time spent at Hogwarts together. She remembered the times when the trio had been split; during fourth year, and then again when she needed him most, during the 7th year searching for horcruxes. He was like the dash of salt that brought out the other flavors. She wanted him in her life still, but as a friend again.

As the coffee date progressed, she realized that, at least right now, she couldn't be friends with him. He still wanted too much from her. They both left the coffee shop in bad tempers.

"Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley, an Item once more?" She read aloud, then gave a sigh of frustration. There were pictures of her and Ron scattered about the article, and in most of them they were looking amiable. They had obviously excluded the pictures taken during the last ten minutes of their meeting. She smiled as she realized she wouldn't have to endure the awkward questions that always arose after juicy gossip articles like this one.

She stared out her window to the streets below for several minutes, then rose to go get the rest of the boxes from her car. Where she would put them, she had no idea. But the biggest question was whether or not she should bother unpacking at all now that she had made the discovery of her unsavory neighbor.

**Thanks for reading! Remember, Review! Tell me what you think of this chapter :)  
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	3. Chapter 3: The Unlikely Roommate

**A/N: Sorry it took so long to update! I have been extremely busy with my last semester of school. Hope you enjoy!**

****Chapter 3: The Unlikely Roommate

A strange, wet sensation on his chest slowly roused Draco from his alcohol and exhaust induced sleep. He blearily opened his eyes, and blinked a few times as an unfamiliar shape filled his vision.

"Hmm?" Pointy ears, whiskers, and huge almond eyes stared back. The orange cat purred when it saw that he was finally awake and gave a few kneads with its white paws. Draco sat up abruptly, now wide awake, throwing the creature off. "How on Earth?" He felt his dress shirt, and realized the stupid thing had drooled all over it. He wouldn't be using _that_ shirt for interviews anytime soon. "Ugh..." He peeled it off gingerly, trying to avoid touching the soaked area to his face and threw the shirt on the floor. "So, Mr. Cat, you have returned again. To what do I owe this honor?" He asked it sarcastically. _There will be no sentimental nonsense like milk and petting this time_, he told himself, and immediately put the cat outside his door.

He saw the pretty girl he'd spoken with earlier, (_What was he name again? Allison? Amanda?)_ walking up the hallway from the elevators and she give him an appraising look.

"Nice outfit, neighbor." He glanced down and remembered he had taken off his shirt. _Well, that was pretty bold_, he thought. Aloud, he said, "So I've been told", and gave her a cheeky grin before backing into his apartment again and shutting the door.

He turned around and was greeted with a "meow."

"Dammit!" _How does that little bastard always sneak back in?_ He glared at the cat for several minutes, waiting until he knew Amanda/Allison had gone into her apartment and then flung the cat out again.

He threw his shirt into his hamper, glad he'd finally figured out how to use the complex's washers and dryers. He'd wasted a pretty penny the first few months on buying new clothes every time he needed something to wear (Mostly underwear and those surprisingly comfy pants that muggles called "jeans"). It had been stupid, he knew, but at the time, he thought he'd rather face starvation than tackle the strange muggle contraptions. He'd slowly graduated from one muggle appliance to another, starting with the television, which he had immediately taken a liking to (muggle girls in bikinis being a particularly winning aspect), moving to the microwave, then the dishwasher, and finally the washer and dryer. Although he made use of them, he was still baffled by how they worked and suspected that some sort of magic that muggles were unaware of was at work.

But now, his allotted money from the ministry was running out, and he had no idea what to do. Soon he'd be like those muggles he saw sitting outside on the streets, begging for change. Either that, or he could go back to the ministry, and do time in Azkaban. He had nothing to offer the muggle world, and he wanted nothing from it, except for it to clear his name so he could return to his own world (although he might bring a television back with him). He hated this place, he hated the people around him, but most of all, he hated himself.

Lately, as his situation became more dire, he had taken up the habit of going over all the things he regretted. His father would probably not approve. He'd raised Draco with the saying, "A Malfoy never regrets," whenever Draco had voiced having second thoughts about anything he'd done. The first time had been when he'd come home after calling a muggleborn witch a mudblood for the first time. Perhaps the past few years in Azkaban were making his father rethink his saying now as well.

The first thing he'd come to regret during his time in the muggle world was spending all his money on new clothes and alcohol (He had to admit that muggles had an excellent selection). When that got old, he realized that he probably should have started looking for jobs earlier. Then he realized he probably wouldn't be in this particular situation if he'd cooperated more with the ministry instead of trying to use his now tarnished name and the remainder of his family's fortune to get his way. His favorite thing to regret right now was a particular moment during the battle at Hogwarts, where he'd tried to stop Potter in the room of requirement. If he'd simply let things be instead of working against the golden trio, perhaps they would have been more lenient. After all, they'd let his mother free.

After he had a pity party for a while, he usually sobered himself up with the fact that he couldn't do anything about it, and would start his job searching in the papers anew. Today, his pity party was interrupted only a few moments in by several scratches at the front door. "Go away cat!" He yelled. The scratching continued, so Draco turned on the television, and raised the volume until he could no longer hear the scratches.

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><p>An hour later, he turned off the television to get ready for bed. As he walked past the front door on the way to his room, he heard the scratching again. He'd forgotten about it by then, and gave a frustrated sigh. "You really don't give up, do you?"<p>

A mournful "meow" answered him. Feeling the very smallest beginnings of what might be pity, he found himself turning around and walking the few paces back to the front door. He opened it slightly, just enough to let the cat in. "I hope you don't have any muggle cat diseases. And don't get any more orange fur on my business suit."

It gleefully pranced in, and rubbed his legs (getting orange fur on his business suit pants that he was still wearing). It followed him to the bathroom where he prepared for bed. It drank from the faucet as he brushed his teeth, getting its face wet. Draco smiled, and several gobs of foaming toothpaste escaped his mouth.

He settled into bed with a book, and the cat jumped up next to him. "I suppose it's useless to try to do anything except what you want?" The cat nudged him with it's nose, and settled down on his chest, blocking his view of the book. He pushed the cat off so that it was instead by his side, and it appeared to accept this compromise. He read for a half hour, but found that the cat's purring was lulling him to sleep. He finally gave in and set his book down, and had one of his most restful night's sleep in many months.

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><p>Draco was awakened by a strange ringing sound. He checked his watch and saw that it was 8 in the morning. He felt surprisingly rested. The cat had moved to his chest again during the night, and once more, he had a big spot of drool on his chest. The ringing sound came again, and he looked around his room in search of the source. He hadn't set an alarm last night, and this was very obviously a different sound.<p>

"Riiiiiiinng! Please leave you message after the beep. BEEEP. Hello Mr. Malfoy, this is your handler, Joe thompkins, please give me a call back when you-"

Draco, realizing that the sound was in fact his telephone (The one contraption in the apartment he had yet to master), had raced to pick it up. Fumbling with it for a few moments as he tried to remember which side to speak into, he then hastily said, "Hello! Sorry Mr. Thompkins, I was sleeping, and didn't realize what the sound was, and-"

"Not to worry Mr. Malfoy. Listen, I am calling to inform you that we've noticed your funds are getting particularly low. You've only got about a month of support left out of them."

"Yes, sir, I'm aware of the situation," said Draco, annoyed.

"Frankly, I'm surprised that it's run out so quickly. And that you've failed to secure some sort of income."

"I have been trying Mr. Thompkins, I assure you."

"I would hope so. Integrating yourself into the muggle world is essential for this rehabilitation program to work," said Mr. Thompkins.

"Yes, I know". It had only been explained to him 20 times or so already.

"Well, I am reluctant to offer this, but I know you are making some effort. Let's meet in the park outside your apartment in two weeks, and I will decide whether you should be given a small portion of money to continue to support yourself on. In this way, you should have another few months to secure a job. If I don't feel you have progressed or made enough effort, you will have until your already allotted funds run out, and then you will return with me to the ministry where you will have to face time in Azkaban, as was originally planned."

"Thank you sir, I do appreciate the consideration. What time?"

"How about 1 o' clock?" Mr. Thompkins asked.

"Sounds good. I'll see you then sir."

"Yes, and perhaps you will have found a job by then, and there will be no dilemma at all to discuss." He didn't say anything else, but Draco wasn't sure if he'd really hung up. He said "hello" a few times to be sure, and then, satisfied, set the phone down himself.

He knew that thus far he'd pretty much botched his chances. He was putting in effort, now that things were desperate. But he'd wasted far too much time moping for the first several months. He was going to have to somehow show Mr. Thompkins that he loved all things muggle, or he would have to successfully land a job. Which meant that he was going to have to show Mr. Thompkins that he loved all things muggle.


	4. Chapter 4: The Unsociable Stranger

Chapter 4: The Unsociable Stranger

It had been two days since Hermione had moved in, and Boots was still missing. She'd dropped in to the Leaky Cauldron reluctantly (Thankfully no one recognized her), and asked Tom if he'd seen an orange cat sulking around the muggle London entrance, but he hadn't. Her apartment was now arranged in a way she liked, and she even went out and bought a new cat scratch post for Boots, as if it would entice him to come home.

She made a 'missing cat' poster with a particularly adorable picture of Boots on it, where his fur was actually brushed, and placed her muggle landline and cell number on it. She was just hanging it up in the lobby area at the entrance to the complex when something blond caught her eye. Turning slightly to get a better view, her fears were confirmed as she saw Malfoy walking out of the elevator next to a cute brunette wearing a low cut dress. She turned her face away quickly, hoping he wouldn't see her.

When she looked again, he had walked through the glass doors. She breathed a sigh of relief, and continued to tape several posters up. 'The more the better!' Someone was bound to know something about him. She touched her phone absentmindedly, as if she was already expecting a phone call about it.

"That's quite a few posters there," A familiar voice said, right next to her. She jumped about a half foot into the air.

Clearing her voice she said, "Yes, well, he's a very important cat." She still didn't face him, hoping he'd continue on his way before he recognized who exactly it was standing here next to him.

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><p><em>So this is Mr. Cat's owner<em>, thought Draco.

If she'd been watching before, she would have seen him bid goodbye to the cute brunette outside of the glass doors and make his way back inside. The many orange cat posters had caught his attention on the way down.

She still wasn't facing him, and hadn't spoken again. She was obviously finished with hanging up her posters, so he wondered why she was still standing there, awkwardly. He wasn't sure why he was actually making an effort to be friendly. Ever since the cat had been staying with him though, he'd been in an unnaturally good mood. And well, he was curious about the cat's owner.

"How long has he been missing?" Although he already knew the answer to that...

"About two days, since I moved in...Today will be the third." Draco's heart momentarily clenched at that. This was probably the girl he'd almost knocked over the other day after his interview. And she'd lost her cat the day she moved in. _Poor girl_ He thought. She turned slightly, and he got a better look at her face as she said, "Well, I should be off. Gotta keep putting up posters."

"Wait!" He shouted. _Her face..._ It was oddly familiar. As he shouted, she turned in surprise and to face him. "Do I know you?"

"Uh...I don't think so." She turned again quickly and started walking again, obviously in a hurry to get away. _Her voice is somehow familiar too..._ He watched her until she disappeared around the corner.

Something was definitely off about that interaction, and Draco was resolved to find out what. He grabbed a poster and walked out.

Later on that day, Draco was tidying up his apartment. He'd had another unsuccessful day scouting for jobs, and had decided to at least do something productive, like clean, upon returning. He picked up that day's copy of the Prophet, opened it to a random center page and nearly dropped it in surprise. It was Her! The girl he'd spoken with in the lobby! '_Hermione Granger on the Move_' was the title of the article. _No. No. There is no way that's her, _he told himself. But he looked again, and knew it was, undeniably. How had he not realized before? It was a more stylish and grown up Granger (_Alright, attractive, I admit it_), but it was definitely her.

He always ignored the silly gossip columns that followed the golden trio, otherwise he could have avoided making a fool of himself. She had obviously recognized him. It was Draco Malfoy. He knew no one else looked like him, and her reaction gave her away.

What could he do with this information? She was a connection to the wizarding world, one he was beginning to be desperate for. But it was Hermione Granger, best friend of his least favorite hero, and the poster girl for muggle borns everywhere.

_Muggle born!_ She knew he was a wizard, and she knew about the muggle world in a way he never could. She was his best chance to prove to Joseph Thompkins that he loved all things muggle (except for the fact that he didn't...).

But would she even consider helping him?

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><p>Hermione was thanking her lucky stars all day. He still hadn't recognized her! She was in shock. She'd even looked him square in the face when he'd shouted.<p>

She'd chopped off her hair after her breakup with Ron, but surely he'd seen the dozens of photos in the Prophet? They'd even had a special issue dedicated to the 'Changing styles of Hermione Granger'. It behaved much better now, falling in curls at her shoulders. Whatever the reason was that he didn't recognize her, she was grateful.

Along with her narrow escape from Draco Malfoy, she'd successfully placed her posters all over her side of town, in coffee shops and in the local parks. Her legs were a little sore from all the walking, but it felt good to be making some progress. She had even submitted an application to a local bookstore while she was out and about. When she got back to her apartment, she collapsed on a chair, wishing Boots would pop up and jump on her lap. Hunger got the better of her and she made her way to the kitchen, pressing a button on her answering machine, she listened to her messages while she heated up some leftover casserole.

"Hermione? Hello? Uh, this is Ginny! I hope I'm using this thing right! I just wanted to make sure you were moved in alright! Can I come visit you soon? Call me back on my celly thingy! Miss you!"

"Beeeep!"

"...So, the girl with the cat posters is...Granger. (Hermione froze as she was removing her meal from the microwave) I know I'm probably the last person you want to hear from, but, I'm pretty desperate. I have a favor to ask. Feel free to refuse, but please, just hear me out first. I'm in apartment 909. Stop by tomorrow between 3 and 6 if you're willing."


	5. Chapter 5: The Unusual Alliance

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry I haven't updated in a few days! I'm trying to be more consistent with that though. Thanks for the reviews :)**

**A/N: I fixed a few more things after my very prolonged absence from this story!**

Chapter 5: The Unusual Alliance

_I am an idiot_

The moment he had hung up his phone after leaving the message, he realized that he had just invited his new cat's former owner (_Mr. Cat likes me better, so he's chosen me as his new owner_, he rationalized) into his home the following day. Not one of his better ideas.

And to top it off, it wasn't just any person; it was Hermione Granger, brightest witch of her age. He would have to be very very sneaky to avoid her suspicions. He assumed she would already be suspicious of him, for other reasons. He had, after all, tormented her for 7 years, watched her being tortured in his home, and recently been in court for his activities with Voldemort and his Pureblood notions. (rrrrrrrrt5 A/N: My cat decided to try and help me type my story. I didn't have the heart to delete it ^.^) Why would Draco Malfoy be inviting her over to his apartment? He'd just have to hope he could convince her.

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><p>Why was Draco Malfoy inviting her over to his apartment? Hermione had paced back and forth numerous times now, debating whether or not she was going to actually walk down the hallway to his apartment.<p>

She didn't know why he was here yet in the muggle world, so she had no clue why he was asking her to talk. It bothered her. She liked to know as much about her situations as possible. The papers had been annoyingly devoid of any information on the youngest Malfoy family member. Narcissa had probably paid to keep things hushed up.

She didn't necessarily hate Malfoy the way that Harry and Ron did. She didn't have a blood feud with his family, obviously, and she hadn't been the brunt of the majority of Malfoy's attacks and foul jokes. She'd been the target of a few, but mostly, he just insulted her a lot with a word that didn't hold much meaning to her. _Mudblood_.

After changing into the appropriate attire (She'd read somewhere that wearing the color red made others uncomfortable), she started walking towards her door. It was almost 3, and if she was going to go, she was going to be punctual.

901, 903, 905, 907...and 909, she found it around the corner from her hallway, equidistant from the elevator. That at least explained why they hadn't run into each other yet. It was 2:59. Raising her hand tentatively, she knocked 3 times.

He must have been waiting for her, because the door immediately opened to reveal Draco Malfoy, looking very nervous.

"Granger," He said in greeting.

"Malfoy."

"Please, come in." Hermione had to stop herself laughing at his politeness. _He must really need my help._

"I have to admit, I wasn't sure you'd come." He sat down on his sofa, and she sat daintily on his chair. He had dressed in jeans and a simple dark blue T-shirt. He wished she'd done similarly; her bright red sweater was making him uncomfortable (Though, he admitted, it complimented her pale complexion and dark hair nicely).

"Well, I did. So, let's cut to the chase: What do you need my help with, and why should I help you?"

He cleared his throat awkwardly, not expecting this. "You probably don't have any idea what happened to me after the war, right?"

"Right. There was nothing in the papers. Your mother's doing, I assume?"

He rolled his eyes. "No, it was the ministry's."

"Oh."

"Yeah, 'oh'. They had to keep my whereabouts all hushed up so that no one would interfere with my 'rehabilitation'. You see, I'm supposed to be living in the muggle world for 5 years without support or help. It's supposed to teach me appreciation for their ways or something and cure me of my horrible pureblood notions."

"I can see how well it's working," She said sarcastically.

"Well, I am appreciative of the microwave now, does that count?" He smiled when she involuntarily chuckled.

"Well, you seem to be doing okay, why do you need me?" She was looking around his apartment in appreciation. It was simple, but it had all the necessities.

"Actually, this was purchased by the ministry, and they gave me a sum of money to support myself on until I found a job. Trouble is, it's running out."

"Of course it is...why don't you just get a job?" There was annoyance in her voice.

He looked down in embarrassment. "No one will take me. I don't have any experience, and they don't like that in a 20 year old."

Hermione looked thoughtful, "Where do I come into this? I don't even have a job yet, I don't think I can get you one."

"That's the thing, I don't want you to help with that. I want you to help me convince my handler that I'm making good progress in my 'rehabilitation', and he will give me another few month's worth of money." He glanced up, hoping she didn't look to put out when he said that.

"'progress' as in...you love muggles and mudbloods now?" She quirked an eyebrow at him. Her use of the derogatory word surprised him.

"I suppose, if you put it that way, yes. It's really just to give me more time to try to get a job."

"What happens if you don't? And all the money runs out?"

He grew a little paler and said softly, "Then, I fulfill a sentence in Azkaban...a fairly long one."

"You don't think you deserve that?" She asked haughtily.

He didn't speak for a moment, then looked her in the eyes. "I think I deserve that...and much more."

There were several seconds of silence as Hermione looked at him more critically. She noticed the bags under his eyes, the pale palor of his skin, and how thin he had gotten. _He's depressed...and guilt-ridden_ she realized. She wanted to be angry with him, for all the things he'd done that brought him this sentence, but she found herself pitying him.

"Wouldn't I be one of those people who's not supposed to know where you are and 'interfere'?" Draco looked hopeful when she asked the question.

"I think they had in mind anti-deatheater lunatics who'd attempt to murder me. You're not one of those, are you?"

She smiled. "No. I'm not."

"If you help me, I'll make it worth your time...when I'm done here, I'll give you money, first edition books, whatever, you name it."

"I'm a war hero, I have a lifetime of gold to support myself on. And didn't you spend the majority of your money on your case? That at least made the papers."

"Oh, yeah, forgot about that."

"Really, just...take to heart what happens while you're out here, in the muggle world. That will be enough to me." Draco nodded.

"So, you'll do it?" His eyes lit up.

"Yes. Although, I'm not sure exactly how I'll help you out." She sighed. "I'll think of something. I'm Hermione Granger." She moved to get up. "I've got to go. Make some inquiries at the animal shelter down the street. Boots, the cat I was putting the posters up for, he's still missing."

He gulped loudly, hoping she didn't notice. "Alright. well, I have your cell, I'll call you later I guess." He walked her to the door and opened it for her. "And Granger?" She paused and looked at him. "Thank you. I know there's no reason at all to help me...but, you are. So, thanks."

He closed the door and Hermione walked back to her flat, absentmindedly picking off a few orange cat hairs that had somehow gotten stuck to her sweater.

_He's already begun changing_, Hermione thought to herself, _and he doesn't even realize it._

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Read and Review :) I'll be posting again soon!**


	6. Chapter 6: The Unpleasant Outing

**Hey guys! If you read my other story, you'll already know why I haven't been updating lately. I've been out of the country, and couldn't access my account :( Hope you enjoy!**

**A/N: I edited this chapter as well!**

Chapter 6: The Unpleasant Outing

Hermione was enjoying herself far too much. _Carnival? Antiquing? Dog show?_ She'd been coming up with a very interesting list of activities for Draco to take part in as he "integrated" himself into the muggle world. She imagined his face as he walked into a fun house or a plastic ball pit, and chuckled. He was meeting her at her apartment in a few minutes for their first outing. She already had that day's activities planned.

_knock knock knock_

Opening the door, she saw Draco there, looking like he would really rather be elsewhere. "Granger." Again, he greeted her impersonally, gliding gracefully through the door in a way that a person who looked so hungover really shouldn't have been able to. She closed her front door and joined him in her living room. He'd taken a seat in Boots' favorite chair, and was wearing what appeared to be the same jeans and shirt.

"Do you ever change your clothes?" She asked rudely. It was Malfoy, so her normal manners weren't quite as present as they would have been with anyone else. She tried to recall the feelings of pity she'd felt for him a few days before, but it was hard seeing him looking so...Malfoyish, sitting in her living room.

Looking at his clothes in surprise, he said, "These are different clothes. Most of mine look the same. Don't yours?"

Hermione laughed. "No, why would they?"

"I always see muggles wearing the same things to work every day, so I just assumed..." He didn't like the condescending way she was looking at him. "Whatever, they are clean, and I don't smell. Can't say so much for this place." He wrinkled his nose.

"That would be an insult, except I've just moved in here, so, nice try." She wrinkled her nose too. "I think the previous owner had a dog or something that peed a lot. Come to think of it, that's probably why Boots didn't like it here." She looked down, thinking of her missing cat for a moment. Draco cleared his throat awkwardly.

"So, what's the plan for today?" Hermione cheered instantly as she looked up again.

"Well, I thought we could go to the mall!"

"The what?"

"The mall? You know, where you buy clothes, and furniture, and hang out..."

He gave her an incredulous look.

"You bought all those clothes! Where did you go if not there?"

"The shop near here...the one with all the funny decorations in the window."

"Stand up," ordered Hermione. He complied, and she turned him around to look at the back of his jeans where the name would be.

Draco, however, had no clue what she was doing. "Hey! What are you doing? Why are you looking at my bum?" He whipped around quickly.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh shut it, I was just checking to see what brand your pants were." He sat down, a little huffily. "They're Guess jeans, Malfoy. You know that the clothing there is ridiculously pricey...it's no wonder you're almost broke!"

"Actually, no, I didn't know. And I also don't know the exchange between Galleons and Pounds, how was I to know it was considered expensive?"

"They didn't explain that to you when you first were moved here?"

He looked down as he mumbled, "They might've..."

"Somehow, I'm not surprised." After a moment, she stood up slowly, saying, "Well, we should probably get going soon."

"Right." He stood, and stared around the room awkwardly while she gathered her coat and purse. "You don't happen to have any of those muggle pain pills, do you?"

"Nope, I'm a witch, Malfoy." She waved her wand at him.

"Oh yeah. Well, could you, you know..." He indicated his head.

She sighed, and performed a simple pain reducing spell on his head. He brightened significantly after that, and headed to the door without thanking her.

Once out on the street, Hermione showed him all about public transportation. She explained that they'd take the tube to the mall, and the bus back, so he'd know how to use both. He had no idea what she was talking about, and so just agreed. On the tube, they sat in silence, Hermione reading a book, Draco staring blankly at the ground. They reached their destination, and Hermione led him up and out onto the street in the direction of the mall.

"Merlin's beard..." Draco stood speechless in the entrance looking around. It was approaching Christmastime and the decorations were up in the mall. This only added to the grandeur and impressiveness of the place. "Muggles made this?" He looked at Hermione, who was looking amused at his reaction.

"Yes, and there are several more in London. This isn't even the most impressive one. I thought we'd take baby steps." She lead him towards the mall directory. "Where would you like to go?"

"There are hundreds of shops, and you really think I'll even know what I'm choosing?" He stepped back and let her look. "Pick something good."

"Shall I take you to a clothing shop?"

"No. Already have clothes."

"How about a book shop?"

"No, I don't feel like reading right now."

"Hm...How about an accessory store?"

"What's that?"

"You know, wallets, belts, ties..."

"No. Boring."

Hermione put her hands on her hips. "What is wrong with you Malfoy? I'm trying to help you out, and you're acting like a child." He crossed his arms over his chest and was about to protest when it dawned on her. Cutting him off as he opened his mouth, she asked in a different tone, "Malfoy, are you by any chance...hungry?"

"Now that I think about it, yeah, I am." She smirked as he stepped forward again to look at the directory, this time searching under 'restaurants'. "What's 'Pho'?"

"It's a type of Vietnamese soup. You wanna go there?"

"What's Vietnamese?"

"Really? You don't know? It's the type of food that comes from Vietnam, a country in southeast Asia. Don't you know your geography?"

"Geography is boring," He shot back. "It's muggle food any ways."

"Don't be an ass, Wizards live in Vietnam too. And I'm sure that Vietnamese wizards eat Pho. Just like British wizards eat fish and chips." She couldn't believe Malfoy didn't even know what Vietnam was.

"_I've_ never had fish and chips," he stated. "Are they good?"

Hermione's look changed from annoyance to pity. "You poor, poor thing. They are absolutely delicious. Shall we try that? We can try Pho later perhaps."

They headed off towards the direction that the map had showed them the fish and chips restaurant was. Draco hadn't realized how large the mall was just from the directory, and was tired and complaining by the time they got there. Once they had sat down and ordered, he calmed down a bit. Hermione guessed it had something to do with the free bread they had brought to the table.

"So...um. This is weird," said Draco after a few moments.

"What's weird?" She had been calmly staring at painting on the wall.

"This," he gestured to them both. "You and me eating alone at a restaurant in a muggle mall. Back at Hogwarts, would you have guessed this is where we'd be?"

"Definitely not. But let's not forget that this was all your idea." She took a sip of her coke as she pointed at him.

He grabbed her drink from her, since he'd chosen water for himself and was apparently tiring of it, and said, "Not true. This whole "mall" thing and fish and chips were your idea. They had better be amazing." He took a sip of her coke and pulled back in surprise. "This is delicious...what is it again?"

Hermione was holding back a smile. "It's coke. You know, soda pop?"

"Never had it. It's like that orange fizzy drink from the Weasley shop...but also not..." he reached for it again and took another sip. "it's really good."

"Glad you like it." She took the drink back, then looked at the straw, surprised he'd even deigned to touch his lips to something her's had touched. Any minute now she expected him to make a jab about getting some muggle disease from her. But he didn't.

They both stopped talking and leaned back as a waiter approached and set their food in front of them.

"Alright, here goes," Said Draco, as he brought a piece of fish to his mouth.

"Wait! You can't eat it like that!" Grabbing the fish from his hand she put it on his plate before he could eat it. He looked up in surprise.

"I can't eat it the way they served it?"

"Don't be silly, you've got to dip it in the sauce there. That's it," She nodded as he did as she instructed. "Ok, now you can eat it."

"Oh..." His face lit up as soon as the food was in his mouth. He was silent for a while as he chewed and swallowed. "Wow...That's...how have I been living my life without this?"

"I know, right?" They smiled at each other before continuing to devour their meals.

"You did something right for once, Mudblood-" The word slipped out before he realized it. Looking up, he saw Hermione's face pale. "Sorry, it's just old habits."

She gave him a strained smile, and said, "It's ok, I understand." But the jovial mood from before was broken.

Draco couldn't believe he'd let that word slip out. He hadn't used it for years. The rest of the meal was filled with stinted and strained conversation, and Draco spent most of it observing Hermione, trying to see if she was offended.

_What if she calls the whole thing off? What if I've completely blown it?_ He felt a small sense of panic rise up at the thought of all the hope he'd found in the last few days vanishing.

When they'd finished their meals, Hermione took him to some of the shops. They started at a toy store, and he tried to be interested in the strange and colorful muggle toys on display, but was so distracted by trying to gauge her mood, he feared he ended up looking impatient. After the toy store, she brought him to an electronics store, where he didn't have to try so hard to be interested.

When they left to grab the bus back home, his wariness returned, and his conversation grew stinted again. They spent the whole bus ride in silence, not saying anything until they got off the elevator on the 9th floor where they would go their separate ways.

"Well, thanks for showing me a muggle mall, Granger."

"It was no problem. I hope you enjoyed yourself."

"Oh, I definitely did. See? Progress already! Keep this up, and my handler won't know what hit him."

"Mmmhmm." Hermione turned to head down the hall. "Alright, bye Malfoy."

"Bye Granger."

After he closed his door, he slid down it till he was on the floor, face to face with Boots. "She's not going to meet with me again, is she. I messed up..." And Boots looked at him, then turned up his nose and stalked away.

**Looks like someone's a bit disappointed in his owner...Please Review!**


	7. Chapter 7: The Uninformed Participant

**Thanks so much for the reviews on the last chapter guys! I'm trying to update fairly often to make up for the fact that I couldn't access my account for so long. I know I hate when an author leaves a story alone for a long time :/ I'll try to not be that person.**

**A/N: This chapter has also been edited :)**

Chapter 7: The Uninformed Participant

To Draco Malfoy's surprise, Hermione called only two days later, asking when they should get together again to explore muggle London. He had complied hesitantly with a date and time and then hung up, slightly in shock.

He looked at Boots, (he had finally started using the cat's actual name) and spoke as he walked over to his couch. "I thought she'd call it quits after our last meeting. She's your master, can you explain her to me?" Boots followed him to the couch and jumped up onto his lap. He gave Draco a blank look. "Well, needless to say, you're going to have to go into that back room again on Thursday. Sorry bub."

Over the next three days, Draco decided to be productive. He went to the muggle mall that he and Hermione had explored, taking the bus (it was less intimidating than the tube), and applied for several jobs. He figured it wouldn't hurt to keep looking while he was carrying out his plan with Hermione.

There had also been an annoyingly large amount of orange cat fur on almost all of his clothing lately, so he decided to deep clean his apartment. However, upon attempting, he found that he had inadequate supplies, and of course, no magic. Even at home at the manor, he didn't use magic to clean. The house elves did that. "I am completely and utterly useless," He admitted to Boots dejectedly, the night before Hermione was to come over. Her behavior was still a mystery to him, and he didn't want to risk the wrath of Hermione being increased if a stray orange hair gave away the fact that he was harboring her precious kitty. For all he knew, he was already going to suffer. Perhaps she set up this meeting just in order to tell him off for calling her a mudblood. He sighed nervously as he picked cat hairs, one by one, off of his couch.

Hermione arrived at their previously agreed upon time, 11am precisely. Her light, yet confidant knock sounded just as he was shooing Boots into his room. "Not a meow, you hear?" He closed his bedroom door and hurried down the hall to let Hermione in, taking a deep breath before he turned the knob.

"Mornin'," she said calmly as she stepped through the door. Looking him up and down, she said, "You should probably grab something warmer, like a coat," and moved into his living room to sit on his couch. "It says that snow is forecast, at least for this evening, so it's going to be pretty chilly." He was still standing in the hallway by the door, though the smallness of his apartment meant he was only a few feet from her. "You alright?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." _Why is she acting so_ _**normal**_?

"You should get that coat."

"Right." Moving down the hall to his bedroom, he realized, belatedly, that going in there meant that Boots could potentially be set free in the house. He opened his door in a flurry and slammed it shut. Boots, who had been sitting on his bed, gave Draco an irritated look at the loud noise he had made.

"Malfoy? Everything ok?" Hermione shouted down the hall. Boots perked visibly at the sound of her voice.

"Yeah!" He shouted as he rummaged through his closet. He'd never invested in heavy outerwear since he hadn't needed it at the time of his none-too-smart shopping sprees. His best bet was his overcoat, even though it wasn't made for winter conditions. Tossing Boots back onto his bed on his bed (He had begun approaching the door to investigate Hermione's voice), he opened and slammed the door again behind him as he exited.

"Funny door, that. It just slams so easily sometimes," he said in explanation at the bewildered look on Hermione's face.

Draco moved to put on his overcoat, but Hermione stopped him. "Is that all you have?" He nodded.

"Haven't been shopping in a while. Not since I figured out how to use the washing machine."

She had to squash the urge to grin at this. "Well, let me have it for a moment." Taking the coat in her left hand, she waved her wand at it and did a few wordless spells. "There you go, it should be good now." He put it on and didn't feel any difference.

"What did you do to it?"

"It should keep you at a lovely room temperature at all times. Muggles may give you some funny looks though, seeing as they won't know it's an enchanted overcoat."

"Wow, thanks," He said in surprise. She was being so _nice._

"So I thought we could go to the muggle library today. Also there's a muggle art museum nearby as well." He heard, very faintly, the sound of door scratching coming from the direction of his bedroom.

Rushing forward, he opened his front door and gestured for Hermione to go through. "Lead the way."

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><p>After perusing the library shelves for several hours, they were both starving. Hermione helped him get a library card using the fake information the ministry had issued him, and then, once out of sight of any muggles, shrunk down their books so they fit easily into the beaded bag she carried everywhere with her.<p>

Draco had been waiting for her to mention their incident from the fish and chips restaurant, but so far, she hadn't done or said anything to indicate it had even happened. After the first hour of nervous conversation and awkwardness on his part, he'd decided to try and forget about it. It appeared that that's what she'd done.

_Maybe someone obliviated_ _her_? He wondered briefly.

They ate at an Indian restaurant at Hermione's suggestion. Although Draco's nose had tingled at just the smell coming through the front door of the restaurant, he had agreed without hesitation on the off chance that Hermione was secretly pissed at him and was just waiting for him to give her an excuse to snap.

By the end of the meal, his nose was running profusely and he could barely feel his tongue. Hermione found this extremely entertaining, having a fairly good tolerance for spicy food herself.

"And you _enjoy_ this type of torture?" He asked pathetically, mopping his eyes and nose once more with a napkin. He couldn't help but think she was punishing him with this meal.

"Well, I'm enjoying this," she said, indicating his current state. "Anyways, I suppose it comes from not eating pampered, bland, fancy food all my life."

"Probably. But honestly, Hermione, I am very very impressed that you aren't even crying a little right now." She tried not to look superior at this, but the fact that he'd just complimented her didn't escape her notice.

They took the bus to the art museum, Hermione paid (He'd offered, but she said that would be counterproductive to the ultimate reason they were there in the first place), and Draco prepared himself to be bored out of his mind. He'd once been to a wizard wand museum. The three hours he'd spend there had been the longest and most uninteresting of his life.

And for the first few paintings, he was bored. Then they came upon a room with such beautiful paintings that Draco could not help but stop and stare, open-mouthed. Hermione watched him with interest.

They wandered through a few more rooms, Draco observing most of the art silently, but obviously in awe. Finally, he spoke up.

"I never knew that," he lowered his voice briefly, "muggles, could paint things to look so... _alive_ without using magic..." They were in front of a painting full of movement and characters depicting a man leaping out of a chariot towards a beautiful woman.

"_Bacchus and Ariadne_," Said Hermione. "That's its title. And, it's my favorite painting here."

Draco observed it a moment more before saying, "I can see why."

"I like how much emotion it captures, you know? He's fallen in love with her, and so leaps from his chariot towards her. But look at her face...can you see it? She's a little afraid of him."

"But only a little," said Draco softly, having to stop himself from reaching forward to touch the girl's face in the painting.

"She marries him, you know. So she needn't have been afraid, it all turns out well. And he turns her crown into a constellation after she passes away." She smiled, stared a moment longer, and then continued on to the next painting.

* * *

><p>"I know your favorite was the Bacchus one, but I still can't get over that guy who painted those lily pads."<p>

"You mean Claude Monet?"

"Yeah, him. Who would have known that lily pads could be so interesting? I'll definitely say this, wizarding artists have nothing on muggle artists. A wizard just brews the right paint, and a stick figure will look halfway decent." He took a sip of hot cocoa, which they'd gotten outside the museum.

"There are more museums, you know, I just took you to one. It's the best one in the city, at least in my opinion, but the others have decent paintings too." Her breath was coming out in visible little puffs now, and they quickened their pace to their apartment building which had just come into view.

"Yeah, I'll have to check those out. I wouldn't mind going back to the one we were at. Take another look at them all. If I had all my money, I'd purchase the lot."

Hermione giggled, "They're not for sale, silly. Not those ones. They're too important."

"Yeah, well, a few confundus charms ought to do the trick for me then." They both chuckled at that. As they approached the large glass doors leading into their building, they were pushed open by the brunette from Draco's neighboring apartment. Their smiles vanished at the harsh look she gave both of them, especially Draco.

Once inside, Hermione whispered, "Probably thinks we were on a date. She's smitten, that one."

"Well, she doesn't know how utterly wrong she is. You and me? On a date?"

Stifling a laugh with her hand, Hermione attempted to speak, "Sorry, I just was remembering the time I slapped you when we were third years!"

"Ooh..." Draco gingerly touched his face as if he could feel the pain again, "Yeah, I remember that. You called me an...evil little cockroach?"

"Foul, loathsome, evil little cockroach," She corrected with a smile.

They reached Draco's door, and Hermione retrieved and unshrunk all of his library books.

"Enjoy your books."

"I will. Thanks for taking me to the library. And the muggle museum. It was great." He smiled and reached for his doorknob.

"Oh, and Draco, in case you were wondering. This was a test."

He turned around, but she was already backing away, a smirk on her face. "A test? What sort of Test?"

She shrugged. "All you need to know is that you passed." With that, she turned around and slipped around the corner of the hallway to her apartment.

**Please Review! I love Reviews! Hope you enjoyed :)**


	8. Chapter 8: The Unforgiving Heart

**A/N: Hey everyone! I'm trying update often :) **  
><strong>I hope you enjoy the latest installment. You guys are awesome.<strong>

Chapter 8: The Unforgiving Heart

"So, have you heard anything about Boots?" Ginny Weasley was sitting on Hermione's kitchen counter munching on some popcorn.

"No," Hermione said with a sigh, "Nothing at all. It's really disconcerting. He can't have just disappeared, can he?"

"Maybe someone liked him so much they purposely aren't responding to your flier. He is really adorable, you know. And cats that big and fluffy are hard to resist." She smirked.

"No one could possibly be that mean. Why would anyone purposely keep a cat from its owner?" She crossed her arms and stared angrily at the floor, missing her friend's joke.

"Come on, let's forget this whole business for a while. There's something else very important we need to be focusing on." Hermione looked up at her friend.

"And what's that?"

"Shopping!" Hermione rolled her eyes. She didn't know if she could face the muggle mall again so soon. She enjoyed it in small amounts, but she reached her limit very quickly. "Come on, Hermione, muggle clothing is finally coming into fashion now in the wizarding world...I've been envious of your clothes for ages and I finally can wear them regularly!"

Hermione gave a sigh.

"Pleeeaase?" Ginny used her best puppy dog expression.

"Alright, but we can't stay forever."

"You're the best! Thanks!" She threw her arms around her friend, spilling her popcorn in the process. "Whoops!" Jumping down, she helped her friend clean up the mess.

* * *

><p>Two hours into their visit, Ginny had bought 8 bags of clothing, 6 of which ended up being carried by Hermione. Their last stop before they were grabbing a bite to eat was a nicer store that carried dresses and gowns for special occasions.<p>

"Oh, I just love these ones," cooed Ginny over a periwinkle blue cocktail dress. Imagine Mum's face if she saw me wear something like this a couple years ago. She can't complain now, they're all the rage!" She snapped it up, and then handed a one-shoulder rose colored dress to Hermione that would come to her knees. "You too. You never know when it might come in handy."

"I have dresses Ginny. I don't need any more."

"Nonsense, you can never have too many dresses. Especially when you have heaps of galleons from being a war hero. Nothing to stop you." She smiled mischievously at her friend and pushed the dress into her hands.

"Fine, I'll try it on, but it doesn't mean I'm buying it."

They both entered their respective dressing rooms, and then emerged in the dresses.

"Wow," Said Ginny, looking at Hermione. "You look fab, my friend, you really do. You've got to get it!"

Hermione examined herself in the floor length mirrors. "I do look good," she admitted, more to herself than Ginny. Turning, she looked at Ginny's dress. "You look amazing, as usual." The blue color went well with Ginny's red hair.

"We definitely need an excuse to wear these out," Ginny called out from her dressing room as she changed back to her regular clothes. "Oh! I know! Harry's been mentioning some sort of event being planned to celebrate the anniversary of Voldemort's defeat. That would be perfect!" The girls both stepped out in their normal attire.

"I didn't know anything about that...They haven't had one before, why now?"

"Oh, it's very hush hush, but I assumed you'd know. It's probably because you haven't been around lately. Anyway, things were too disorganized before, what with all the trials and such, you know. Now that things have finally begun calming down, I think they have time to celebrate. Also, people feel more like celebrating now."

"Well, that sounds great, I can't wait. But, it won't be for a while, not until late Spring"

"Oh, you're right! Let's go on a double date then! One of those fancy muggle opera thingies, and a fancy dinner, doesn't that sound fun?" They moved into the line and waited to pay.

"I'm not dating Ron, Ginny, so it'd be more like you and Harry on a date, and then me," She gently reminded her friend.

"I keep forgetting. How can I be so stupid?" Hermione was waved over by the cashier and stepped forward to pay. When she was done, she waited for Ginny near the exit. "I know! I'll set you up with someone I know from work!"

"That would be great in theory, if you didn't work someplace where I already knew everyone." Hermione began walking in the direction of a sushi restaurant she liked. "How's this, I'll actually attempt to find a date for myself. It's about time I began dating again." She had to cover her ears as Ginny gave a high pitched squeal.

"Merlin, Hermione do you fancy someone?" She clutched Hermione's arm, almost making her drop several bags. "You wouldn't say that unless you had someone in mind. So, tell me, someone at work? In your new apartment? Is it Neville?"

"Calm down, I haven't met anyone. But I will attempt to be more polite to the male gender in hopes that a potential date presents itself."

"I like this idea. And, just in case you don't find anyone who meets your standards, you could always go with Neville as a friend. That's our backup plan."

"Why do you keep mentioning Neville?" Hermione eyed Ginny suspiciously.

"We just haven't seen him in a while. I think he's feeling disconnected from us. And we're all feeling disconnected from you, since you moved here."

"That's why we're hanging out, Gin," Smiled Hermione. "And yes, I'll invite Neville if I can't find anyone else. It'll be a nice reunion of friends." In her mind, she knew it wouldn't be the same as a reunion with Ron there, like old times.

* * *

><p>Draco was exiting the elevator on the lobby floor of his apartment building when he saw Hermione approaching through the glass doors. He noticed she was animatedly talking with a girl that had vibrant red hair. He stopped short and a man who had gotten off the elevator after him bumped into his back. He squinted, trying to make out her face. <em>Definitely a Weasley.<em> He turned quickly and began looking at the community board where Hermione's cat posters were pinned just as the two girls walked through the glass doors.

* * *

><p>"I <em>know! <em>I never expected that! But I suppose he wasn't really a death eater, right?" Ginny held open the door for Hermione who was carrying the majority of the bags still.

"Yeah, but it has been three years, Gin, people are moving on."

"Yeah, I suppose. But Blaise and Luna were a shock, you have to admit. Even without the war, they're so...different!"

Hermione was giggling. "Perhaps she can get him looking for wrackspurts and erumpent horns too!" She glanced towards the community board and saw Draco standing there facing awkwardly away. Ginny followed her gaze before she could look away.

"Blimey," She said, pointing with her free hand, "That bloke has hair _just _the shade of Malfoy's. Creepy!" Hermione nodded and was relieved when Ginny continued into the elevator without stopping to investigate.

"Yeah, just the shade."

"Imagine him in muggle London! How he would sneer and roll his eyes. I'm glad he's gone off the radar, I just wish they'd locked him in Azkaban with his father. What happened to him, did you ever find out?" The doors had closed and they were now ascending slowly.

"Um, the papers didn't say anything," Hermione said evasively. "He's probably holed up somewhere and will turn up when things have died down in a few years."

"Yeah, waiting for people to forget what he did. Too bad that will never happen."

"Gin, seriously, what did he do?" Hermione gave Ginny a hard look before they stepped out of the elevator and began walking towards her apartment.

"Well, the Dumbledore thing, obviously, and the thing at his house, and, well, being a slimy git for our entire time at school!"

"You know he didn't kill Dumbledore, and he didn't want to. He wasn't a saint, but he isn't as bad as you say."

"Why are you defending him so much? It's his house you were tortured in."

Hermione shrugged. "I've put it behind me. Things are a lot clearer in retrospect. You should do the same, as should the rest of the wizarding world. How can we move on if we can't forgive anything?"

"Forgiving can't bring back Fred. Or Tonks, Lupin, Mad-eye..."

"But it can help create a healed and better world in the wake of a war torn one." She placed a hand under Ginny's chin. "What has it done for you, holding onto hate?"

Ginny sighed and moved her head away. When she looked up there were tears in her eyes. "I know, deep down that it's what I should do, but they don't deserve it. And I'm not ready yet to give that to them."

Hermione hugged her, and they went into her apartment. "Let's talk about something cheerful, eh?"

"Something besides your new found love for Malfoy?" Hermione punched her arm playfully.

"Yes, something besides that. Let's watch one of my Disney movies."

"Oooh! Yes, how about the one with the Indian princess and the lamp and the monkey! I love that one!" Her tears were already forgotten in her excitement.

"You've seen it," smiled Hermione. "How about this one?" She held up Sleeping Beauty. "A prince, an evil witch, and dragon." She raised her eyebrows at Ginny.

"A dragon? Well then, we have to watch it."

* * *

><p>The park was cold and crisp, but Draco Malfoy's newly charmed overcoat protected most of him from the chilly weather, save for his hands. He had planned on going to the library again to return some of his books, but now wandered along one of the park's snow covered paths.<p>

Things had been so good lately. Boots kept him company in his apartment, and Hermione kept him chuckling (and on his toes) on their outings. He still wasn't sure about her reaction at the Mall, but overall, she seemed to accept him. With one sentence, he'd been reminded of the real world he came from, and what they thought of him. All the feelings of self loathing and depression descended upon him again.

_"I'm glad he's gone off the radar, I just wish they'd locked him in Azkaban with his father."_

Draco put his head in his hands. He didn't return to his apartment until his ears and hands were numb with cold and the sun was almost set.

**Poor Draco! And, who will be Hermione's date to the opera? I'll try to update soon! Please Review :) Reviews are the best.**


	9. Chapter 9: The Unflawed Plan

**A/N: I'm totally on a roll guys! Second chapter posted this week! You're welcome :)**

Chapter 9: The Unflawed Plan

"I have the _perfect_ plan," Announced Hermione as she waltzed into Draco's apartment. After Ginny had left for her home, Hermione had laid in bed for a while thinking of muggle-related activities she could introduce Draco to when she was struck with a brilliant idea. She'd called Draco first thing the next day, and now they were meeting up a few hours later. "Really, you're going to be blown away."

"So, out with it then," Draco shot at her. He had been dying to ask Hermione what she had meant at the end of their "hang out" when she said he'd passed her test, but this made him forget his question momentarily.

"What is something that will prove to Mr. Thompkins, without a doubt, that you have integrated yourself into the muggle world and think of them on equal terms?"

"Um, a false memory charm? I don't know."

"Wrong! A girlfriend!" Hermione beamed, but Malfoy still looked confused.

"What, you mean you?"

"No, don't be daft. I mean a _muggle_ girlfriend."

"Oh..." The light shone in his eyes as it dawned on him.

"And, I know just the girl."

"You don't mean that overly chatty brunette, do you?"

Hermione gave him a superior smile. "The very same. What's wrong?" He had made a slight face. "She's pretty! And come on, you're a bloke, you can't say you don't like her outfits." She waggled her eyebrows at him. He smirked a bit in response.

"Alright, it is a pretty good plan. What if she doesn't want to date me?"

"She'll go out with you," she said with confidence.

"Why are you so sure of that?" Asked Draco with curiosity.

"Because, well, you're...well, you know..." Hermione blushed at what she had almost said.

"I'm what?" He cupped his hand to his ear, waiting for her.

"Well-groomed?" She tried that out.

"Come now, Granger. What were you really going to say?"

She groaned and rolled her eyes. "Fine. Attractive. As if you didn't already know that." She sat down on his couch with a huff.

"Hermione Granger finds me attractive," Draco said in a pleased way to no one in particular.

"I never said _I_ found you attractive. I just meant, that I can unbiasedly evaluate your general appearance and say that the majority of females would consider you to be an attractive male specimen. Even with a sallow complexion from frequent alcohol consumption."

"I don't have a sallow complexion." Draco looked at his arm.

"You do. You also have bags under your eyes. You'll have to look at your face. Anyway, back to the point of this conversation." Draco sat down next to her. "If you can get this brunette girl to date you, then I think you'll get your extra money from your handler."

"Don't think I'm forgetting you called me attractive, but, yes, I think that this might work. Should I ask her right now?"

"Yes. And, tell her I'm your cousin. In fact, I'll go with you! I think I have an idea how to get things set up. Come with me. Oh, and grab your things, we won't be coming back."

* * *

><p>"Draco!" The door popped open when the brunette saw who it was. Then her eyes fell on Hermione. "Oh, hello. I think I've seen you before. You must be his..."<p>

"-Cousin," supplied Hermione. "I'm Hermione, pleased to meet you."

"Amelia," she said, extending her hand in her new found friendly attitude.

Draco had observed the exchange in an amusement. The relief on Amelia's face when Hermione relayed that information had assured him he could easily get her on a date.

"So, Amelia, we were wondering if you wanted to come with us on an outing to see The Nutcracker. We thought we might skate for a bit beforehand. Malf- I mean, Draco, is trying to get to know his neighbors better, and he said you'd been so sweet to him so far."

"Oh, I _love_ The Nutcracker! Thank you so much for inviting me!"

"Yeah, I love nut cracking too?" Draco asked rather than declared.

Amelia ran to grab her things, and Hermione whispered, "It's a ballet."

"Not sure what that is either. Or ice-skating for that matter."

"It's skating, Malfoy, on ice. Was the name really that complicated? I thought they might have that in the wizarding world."

"Well, they don't. Therefore, I don't know how to ice-skate." He looked angry. "It had better not be difficult. I don't want to make a fool of myself."

"Don't worry, it's difficult," she cooed sweetly at him. "Perhaps, if you're lucky, Amelia will be a klutz at skating." At that moment, Amelia returned. "Ready to go?"

"Yep!" She held up a pair of skates.

"Oh wow, she has her own skates!" declared Draco in mock cheerfulness.

"Oh, yeah, I used to want to be an olympic skater. Too competitive though. Shall we head out?"

"Sure." Hermione's gloating grin was very aggravating to Draco.

* * *

><p>They arrived at the rink late in the afternoon, and Amelia headed straight to the rink after paying, while Draco and Hermione stood in line to rent their skates.<p>

"So, now that we're alone, I've been meaning to ask you something," confessed Draco in a slightly suggestive voice.

"Oh?" Hermione's interest was piqued. "Ask away."

Draco stood silent for a moment before blurting out, "What the bloody hell was that whole 'Test' business about? 'Oh Draco, you passed the test!'" he mocked in a high, girlish voice. "You _knew_ that it was just going to drive me crazy wondering what it was all about, didn't you," he accused.

"Calm down," she hissed at him. She had been a bit spiteful, she admitted to herself, knowing the mystery would bug him, but she hadn't expected him to react like this. "What did you think it was about?"

"I dunno, something ministry related?" He confessed. "Or revenge for calling you a- well, for... you know. That whole business."

"Calling me a 'Mudblood'?" She said bluntly.

"See? How can you do that? So casually. It's such a weighty word. I know pureblooded prats like my former self-"

"Current self," interrupted Hermione.

"Fine, prats like my current self will toss around the word casually, but I know how much you're offended by it."

Hermione snorted, to Draco's surprise. "You do, do you?"

At that moment, an employee was freed up, and they had to momentarily postpone their discussion.

Once they'd received their skates, they brought them over to a bench and began to unlace them.

"Draco, which of us grew up hearing the word 'Mudblood' and was inundated with it's derogatory meaning?"

"Well, I did," muttered Draco, trying to concentrate on Hermione's words and the method by which she was lacing up her skates at the same time.

"Right, so what meaning does this word hold for me, or any muggleborn, except that which we later understand when we enter the wizarding world at eleven-year-olds, by which point we already have a fairly set identity and understanding of the English language." Draco stared dumbly at her for a moment, and then understanding finally dawned on him.

"So, all those years when I called you a 'mudblood', you weren't insulted?" He asked hopefully.

"Of course I was insulted. Just not as much as you wanted. I still knew what you were implying, but it didn't hold the same weight with me."

"What about at the Fish and Chips place? You seemed pretty put-out afterwards," he accused.

She stood up, her skates neatly laced. "I _was_ put-out. I was beginning to rethink what I'd gotten myself into." He tied his laces off as well, and they began heading to the rink to join Amelia.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I thought you really might be different from when we were at school. You seemed...different, when we first talked." She sighed. "Then, you show up at my house hungover, and you begin talking like your old bigoted self that I knew."

"But," interjected Draco, "you said I passed your test. Does that mean you do think I'm different? As in, good different?"

Hermione opened the gate to the rink so that he could step out onto the ice and gave him a tiny smile. "Yes, I find that I do."

Draco suddenly felt a strange warmth fill his chest. It was something he'd never felt before..._Is this how it feels to know someone is proud of you?_

Hermione was still going on, qualifying her admission of him becoming a better person, but he hardly noticed. "-and you're still full of yourself, and short tempered, and you've got a long way to go."

He reached down and took her hand, catching her by surprise. "Granger, thank you." He squeezed her hand once, and let it go.

Then, he stepped onto the ice, and promptly fell.

Amelia glided over gracefully and helped Hermione pull Draco to his feet. Both girls were giggling, so it took two attempts.

"Um, so Amelia, I've never actually skated before. I could use some of your expertise." He smiled in an extremely charming way, and Amelia, obviously under its spell, gave another giggle and agreed to help him.

Hermione watched as the two of them skated slowly off, Amelia going backwards so that Draco could hold onto her hands. _Mission accomplished_, she told herself. After a few turns about the rink by herself, she decided to sit just outside and watch for a few minutes.

Draco and Amelia seemed to be enjoying themselves, or so it seemed from all the smiling, laughing, and arm touching. The few laps had done Draco good, as he could now skate, with only a slight wobble, side-by-side with Amelia, holding her hand (_for support_, Hermione told herself). It made Hermione strangely lonely, watching them, as well as some other indeterminate feeling. She decided that a cup of hot chocolate would do her a lot of good, and went off in search of one.

**A/N: So, does our strong and proud heroine feel the beginnings of jealousy stirring in heart? And what will Draco's reaction be to a muggle ballet?**

**Please Read and Review!**


	10. Chapter 10: The Unexpected Admission

**Hello all! Sorry for the lack of updates again :( I became super busy and traveled a lot, and then lost motivation. But, I found it again! So yay! I made this chapter super long, just for you. Enjoy!**

**Also, J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter.  
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Chapter 10: The Unexpected Admission

"What the..."

The Nutcracker had just begun, and Draco had spotted the first male performer. Turning to Hermione, he whispered, "Granger, what in Merlin's name is he wearing? You can see everything!"

"He's wearing tights, Malfoy. I know it doesn't leave a lot to the imagination, but he's still fully clothed. Just watch. Don't focus on that, focus on the music and the dancing."

He was silent for a moment before turning back to her again. "I don't know if I can do this. I can feel my manliness being drained away, bit by bit."

"Oh hush, men come to see this performed all the time. Quit complaining."

"Fine, I'll complain to Amelia."

"Yes, and that will be a real winner for her, because you know how much she hates The Nutcracker." Hermione gave a satisfied sigh as Draco faced forward again with a huff of indignation. However, she noticed when it got to the part where the Christmas tree grew, he began to look interested. When the performance ended, he even stood up with the rest of the audience as they applauded.

"Alright, I admit, once you got past the tights, it was pretty good." Hermione smiled at his admission. "Not that you'd know, since you were looking at me the majority of the evening," he mentioned accusingly.

Hermione rolled her eyes, thankful that the dim lighting hid the blush she felt creeping into her cheeks. "I was seeing your reaction to the ballet, Malfoy. I've seen this every year since I was a little girl. I wanted to know what you thought of it. It is my job, after all, to make sure you are finding muggle things that you like." She spotted Amelia heading over to them, having gone to the ladies' room. "Speaking of muggle things you like..."

Amelia took Draco's arm when she arrived. "Thank you so much for inviting me along! I haven't been to see it in years. What did you think, Draco?"

"It was fantastic, I didn't know what I'd been missing all these years." Hermione gave a small snort at his response, which, thankfully, Amelia didn't notice.

"Are you two at all hungry? I thought we could grab a bite to eat," Hermione suggested.

* * *

><p>They ended up at a modern looking bistro that had been giving off an amazing smell as they walked by, inviting them in. Draco ordered a steak, and Hermione ordered pasta. They both watched in amusement as Amelia ordered a house salad with oil and balsamic, and proceeded to pick at it sparingly when it was brought out.<p>

"I'm on a diet," She explained at their amused looks. "No carbs after 8."

"Poor you," said Hermione through a mouth-full of pasta. Draco shrugged and stabbed his fork into the rosemary potatoes that had come with his steak. Once they were finished, Hermione ordered a slice of cheesecake for herself and watched Amelia's longing face out of the corner of her eye as she savored each bite. The smirk on Draco's face told her how much he was aware of her taunting.

Walking was a bit of a struggle for Hermione, and she began to regret how much she had eaten. Opting for a taxi rather than just walking to the nearest station, Hermione chose the front seat so as to allow Draco and Amelia to have a bit more time together in the back seat. She could hear them chatting away amiably, and every few minutes, Amelia's high pitched giggle at something that must of have been outrageously funny. It began to be a bit grating on Hermione's nerves, and she was relieved when their apartment building came into view.

"It was so nice to meet you, Hermione," gushed Amelia when they arrived on their floor.

"Likewise," She returned with a smile, shaking Amelia's outstretched hand. "Ma-Draco," she corrected herself for the hundredth time that night, "goodnight. I'll see you soon."

He made a movement to shake her hand too, but must have realized how odd that might look to someone who thought they were cousins. Instead, to her horror, he opted for a strange and awkward side-hug. Their first ever hug. _And hopefully our last,_ she thought. "Goodnight to you too, Cousin." He smirked slightly, and he and Amelia headed in the direction of their apartments while Hermione went down the opposite hall to her own.

She unlocked her door and made her way to the bathroom to get ready for bed. As she went through her nightly routine, she wondered what Amelia and Draco were doing. Had he asked to see her again, one-on-one? Maybe he had even given her a tentative goodnight kiss. She realized he didn't have much time until his meeting with Mr. Thompkins, so he really did need to move quickly. There was no doubt in her mind that Amelia would love to have Draco call her his girlfriend, and would have no objections to the label being applied as early as date number one or two.

_Will she be joining us on all of our outings now?_ With a start, she realized that they may not even have any outings now. With a muggle girlfriend, Draco didn't need to learn to love the rest of the muggle world in order to impress Mr. Thompkins.

Relief. That's what she expected to feel upon this realization. Instead, she felt a little bit sad. Lonely, even. With the move to muggle London, she'd lost touch with most of her friends besides Ginny. She knew she had plans to meet up with her other friends, but in between those far and few times, she was alone. _Or with Malfoy_... How much time had she been spending with him? She calculated, and came up with a number of hours that almost rivaled a part-time job. _And if I'm being honest, I've been enjoying myself_, she admitted.

_If Boots were here, I wouldn't be feeling this way,_ she thought miserably. The bookstore hadn't gotten back to her yet, but it hadn't been that long since she'd given them her application. It would be the perfect distraction. She made her way to her bedroom and settled into her covers, grabbing a book to read before she fell asleep. 15 minutes went by, and she began to feel drowsy, when suddenly, her phone rang. It was almost eleven, she saw by her alarm clock's soft glowing numbers, and she wondered who would have the audacity to call this late.

"Hello?" She didn't bother to hide the annoyance she was feeling.

"Wow, someone's got a broomstick up their ass," said a familiar, drawling voice on the other end.

* * *

><p>Amelia was looking up at him with hopeful eyes. He really wanted to just shake her hand as Hermione had done, and go into his apartment, but he had a plan to stick to.<p>

"So, maybe we can do this again sometime? Just the two of us," He said, with a flash of his teeth in a winning grin.

"I'd love to! I had such a nice time. She unlocked her apartment door and invited him in for a moment. Draco hesitantly shuffled in, and she left him in the living room to get something in her kitchen. When she returned, she handed him a slip of paper. "Here's my number, so give me a call sometime."

Taking the slip in one hand, he leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on her cheek. "I will. Goodnight, Amelia."

"Goodnight!" She called brightly after him as he walked out the door.

Back in his apartment, Draco let Boots out of his room where he had locked the cat earlier that evening. There were several scratch marks on the door, and Draco wished he had a wand to protect and fix it. Grabbing the last beer from his fridge, he settled onto his couch with Boots and turned on the T.V. He barely noticed what he was watching, however. His mind was on Amelia, his soon-to-be muggle girlfriend, if things went well.

If things had been different, Amelia was not really the type of girl he'd have chosen to date. She was pretty, which was a definite "must" for him, but she wasn't very smart. After dating Pansy, he'd told himself he would never date someone he couldn't have a decent conversation with. All he had really been able to do with her was snog -but of course he wasn't going to complain about that. Other than lacking some intelligence, Amelia was quite pleasant though. He'd enjoyed her company far more than he'd been expecting from their brief encounters in the elevator. Dating her would be bearable.

A restaurant commercial came on the television, and Draco nearly snorted his beer remembering how Hermione had teased Amelia with the cheesecake. An idea came to him that made the prospect of dating Amelia even more bearable. Setting down his drink, he got up and began searching for his phone. As he heard Hermione's phone ring on the other end, it dawned on him that she was probably in bed by now, and would be annoyed. Sure enough, she answered in a curt tone.

"Wow, someone's got a broomstick up their ass," he joked.

"Shut up, Malfoy. Do you know what time it is?"

"Yes," he said, glancing at his wrist watch. "It's 10:56. And I know you can't have fallen asleep yet. I was just in your very awake presence 30 minutes ago."

There was a sigh on her end of the phone, and Draco chuckled softly to himself. "It's common courtesy, Malfoy. I would think that would be obvious, even to a non-muggle. So, what has given you cause to call me so late?"

"Two things, the first being of extreme importance."

"Ok?"

He paused a moment, letting her wonder what he was going to say. "Do they use magic to make the tree grow in The Nutcracker?"

"That's what you're dying to know? Wow." She was laughing at him softly. "No, no magic is used. It's a prop, they raise it up from out of the floor."

"Ah..I see."

"What was the other thing?"

"Oh, I was just wondering, what are we doing next?"

"What do you mean? You asked Amelia on a date, correct?"

Draco nodded, then realized that he wasn't making a floo call, and said, "Yeah, she gave me her number. I guess I'm supposed to call her and set things up?"

"Yes, and you normally shouldn't call the day after a first date, but, I think in this case you should because of our deadline. She's crazy about you already, so I'm sure she won't mind."

"Why shouldn't a guy call the next day?"

"It's a muggle thing. Some people say it makes you seem too eager. It's an unwritten rule. Tends to scare girls off."

"_Meow" _

"What was that?" Asked Hermione, in a strange tone. Boots was rubbing Draco's legs and meowing now, probably because he hadn't been fed yet. Draco sprinted down the hall and closed the door.

"Um, the T.V. is having a cat food commercial."

"Oh..." she said, sounding a bit deflated. "It just sounded so much like Boots, sorry. I miss him so much..."

Guilt washed over Draco, and he stumbled over a thousand things to say in his mind, before awkwardly changing the subject. "Anyways, I was wondering what we're doing next, after my date with Amelia. Like, where are we going?"

"Draco, you don't need me anymore. Dating Amelia should be enough for Mr. Thompkins."

"Of course I need you, Hermione." Even he was surprised by how sappy the admission sounded. He hadn't meant it like that at all, and it definitely hadn't sounded sappy when he'd been thinking about it a few minutes ago before he called. He searched his mind quickly for the least-romantic sounding reason. "I-I make mistakes all the time over muggle things. Like, how I didn't even know what ice-skating is. What's she going to think of me if that happens too much?" _And it's going to be torturous to spend so much time with her if you're not there to make me laugh and smile._ He shook his head. _Yes, way too sappy sounding, she'd get the wrong impression._

"I guess you're right," She admitted.

"Maybe we can alternate dates and hang-outs. That way, with you there to cushion my ignorance of the muggle world, it won't seem so bad."

"That sounds like a good plan," she agreed readily. He heard her stifle a yawn on her end.

"Alright, I'll let you get some sleep. Call me tomorrow?"

"Yes, and I'll make sure it's early, since I know you love to sleep in. Vengeance shall be mine." Her grin was audible, and he himself was grinning widely as they said goodbye.

As he settled into bed with Boots, he wished his conversations with Amelia could be even half as entertaining.

**If you review, I will be more motivated to update faster! :D and I'm only joking slightly. Because, seriously, reviews make me super happy and motivated. **


	11. Ch 11: The Unrelenting Conversationalist

**On a role again, enjoy the latest chapter :) **

Chapter 11: The Unrelenting Conversationalist

"So, what is it that you do for a living, Amelia?" Asked Draco politely.

They were seated at a quaint French restaurant for lunch two days after their outing to the skating rink and Nutcracker with Hermione. The date had been going well so far; Polite small talk walking from her apartment to the restaurant which was a few blocks away, shy glances at Draco from Amelia and knowing smirks from him while they waited to be seated, and then, to his dismay, awkward silence. She had been annoyingly decisive in her meal choices today, so Draco's hope of a few minutes reprieve from social interaction was gone. He was now reverting to the list of topics he'd gotten from Hermione late last night.

She had been most annoyed to receive a late call from him two nights in a row, but he ignored her in his panic.

"Granger, I have no idea what I'm going to talk about with her! She's a muggle, for Merlin's sake. Every charming thing I would normally say about myself is useless."

"Oh, so you're one of those," said Hermione knowingly.

"What are you talking about? One of what?"

"The type of guy who tends to talk about themselves on a date, attempting to wow the other person with their magnificence."

"Well, I can't help it if I'm magnificent." He smirked into the phone.

"Most girls like it when a guy asks questions about them. If the conversation is going stale, or you feel like you can't come up with a muggle-safe answer, then simply steer the conversation towards her. Ask her questions, and trust me, if I'm right in my impression of her, Amelia will take it from there."

"What should I ask her then?" He got himself a piece of paper and pen and wrote down as she answered.

"Ask her about her job, interests, hobbies, places she's traveled, family, school...and of course, once she's given you an answer, like, with hobbies, you can ask her more about them. You'll be fine."

"Ok, I can do this." He let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks for the help, Granger. I owe you one."

"You owe me a lot more than 'one'. More like, 'one-hundred'," she teased him. "Good luck tomorrow. And remember, invite her along for our trip to Hyde Park, like we talked about this morning."

He reverted his attention back to Amelia, realizing she had been answering his question for over a minute now, and he'd probably be expected to know what she'd said. Thankfully, he found her going through, step by step, all the jobs she'd gone through, and was only just finishing up the job she'd quit at 17. "And then, I'd finished school, so of course so many other jobs became available to me. My mum was insisting on going to college, but I've never been very academic, so I knew that wasn't for me." She took a swig of water and continued. "So, of course I naturally wanted to work someplace where I could benefit from the discounts I received. I found out that Nordstrom was hiring at one of our nearby malls, and I applied, got the job, and have been there ever since! I moved up, of course, from the general retail to be the manager of the women's department, otherwise, how would I pay the bills, right?" She giggled girlishly.

"Right."

"Anyhow, I love it there so much! The women can be a bit high strung, but most of them are so friendly. And we just have the best buyers for our store! The clothes they choose are the best, and of course, I get a great discount. This one's new," she indicated the dress she was wearing, "it's supposed to be very popular this season, or so I read in a magazine." She looked at him expectantly.

"Yeah, it's really nice."

She smiled warmly. "So, Draco, what about you? Any luck with the job searching?"

He was genuinely touched that she remembered. "Unfortunately, no. I don't have the experience people are looking for, so it's been a bit hard." She reached across the table to his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Something will come up, don't worry."

"I have no doubt. I just have to keep looking." Their food arrived (well, Draco's meal, and Amelia's meager snack), and conversation slowed for a bit. When they were done, they both ordered lattes and he slowly went through Hermione's list of questions.

"I love watching movies, and I do yoga every day, it's the best! I usually go clubbing on the weekends with my mates."

Draco remembered what Hermione had said about asking Amelia questions related to her answers, and made an attempt at this. "So, what is yoga and clubbing? I'm not familiar with those activities." He had an idea that clubbing didn't mean hitting someone over the head with a beater's club.

Amelia gave a high pitched giggle, "You are so funny!" She saw the look on his face and stopped laughing abruptly. "Oh, you really don't know?" He shook his head, and realized he'd asked the wrong thing.

"I was, uh, sent away for school for 7 years, and my parents were very...protective." He hoped that would be enough explanation.

"Wow, they must have been very strict. Well, Yoga is just a type of exercise, I think it's, like, Chinese or something. Anyway, it involves a lot of bending and stretching, and I'm always so relaxed after. Clubbing is just what people say when they are going to a club, which is a place where there's music, dancing, and drinks. It's really fun! You should definitely come out sometime with me and my mates."

"Yeah, that sounds like fun." He thought of his own activities that were so different. Walks in the park, Quidditch back home, potions experiments, reading... "Do you like reading?"

Amelia made a face and giggled again. "It reminds me of school too much. I always figure that a movie is so much more interesting, and it's telling the same thing. I'd much rather have the story there, on the screen." He noticed she didn't ask him what his hobbies were. This was probably for the best, since explaining them would be violating wizarding law.

By the time they were at her apartment door, Draco had learned what her favorite color was, how many children she wanted, what her favorite music was (He hadn't known who Katy Perry was, but had nodded in approval just the same), how many brothers and sisters she had, how much she liked each brother and sister, and that she really really really wanted to travel to America, specifically, California.

"Draco, thank you so much for lunch, I had such a nice time!" Hermione had insisted that he pay, even though his funds were running low.

"Me too, I like spending time with you like this." It was only a partial lie, he told himself. "I know this is last minute, but me and Hermione were planning on going to the Winter Wonder thing at Hyde Park tomorrow afternoon. Would you be able to join us?"

"I'd love to!" She practically bounced up and down. "I'm leaving to have dinner with my family in the evening, but I could come for a couple hours."

"Fantastic. I'll see you tomorrow then." His confidence returned as he stepped forward to give her a goodnight kiss, as planned by Hermione. This was something he knew how to do, and do well. He put his arms around her waist and drew her to him. The kiss lasted for a good minute before he pulled away from her with a smirk. "Bye for now."

She backed into her apartment in a daze and shut the door still smiling.

Draco went across the hall to his own door and let himself in. Boots was waiting for him on his favorite chair. "Well, Boots, she definitely likes me. Draco Malfoy has still got it." Boots tilted his head and Draco took a seat next to Boots. Guilt crept over him at Amelia's happy expression. He'd enjoyed the kiss, and he'd found her company to be adequate, even though it wasn't very stimulating. But he was certainly implying to her that he felt much more. She was going to be heartbroken if she found out. His phone rang, and he picked it up lazily off the ground near the couch.

"Hello?"

"Malfoy, are you alright? You sound awful." It was Hermione.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Did the date go that badly? I'm sorry."

"No, actually, it went really well. The tips you gave me came in handy. She really likes to talk a lot."

"Listen, you sound down, how about I come over and we can talk about it?" He glanced at Boots nervously, but his wish to have a decent conversation with someone overpowered his reluctance to do a quick clean of his apartment.

"Sure, that sounds good."

They hung up and he flew off the couch, grabbing Boots to put in his room, and then scraped off the orange cat hair from all the visible places. He'd just completed this when Hermione knocked on the door.

* * *

><p>Draco answered the door almost immediately, looking slightly sweaty and out of breath. "Did you just run a marathon?"<p>

"I don't know what a marathon is, but no, I haven't been running anything. Just did a quick clean before you came over." He opened the door all the way so she could slip in.

She held two cups of cocoa in her hands, and nervously handed him one. "I thought you might like one. It always cheers me up, and you sounded like you needed some cheering." She watched the surprise in his face, and thought maybe she was being too nice to her childhood enemy for comfort. He took a sip though, and was immediately smiling. "Come on, tell me all about this date."

They sat on his couch as he relayed everything that had happened throughout the evening. He blushed a little as he mentioned the kiss. Hermione sipped her hot chocolate calmly. She didn't want him to think she cared or anything by acting weird. But, she _was_ feeling weird. Draco got up to use the restroom, and she sat there thinking. Amelia had no idea that this sudden interest Draco had taken in her was all part of a plan. Draco seemed to genuinely like her as a person, and enjoy her company, but she knew he wouldn't have pursued her if it wasn't for Mr. Thompkins and the needed money. It must be guilt she was feeling. _I'm a horrible person_, she told herself. It had been her idea, after all.

Draco sat back down, and Hermione blurted out what she was thinking. "What's going to happen with Amelia once we've impressed Mr. Thompkins?"

He sat looking at her for a moment. "I guess...it wouldn't hurt to keep dating her for a while. Mr. Thompkins might check in again, and of course, I'm going to ask her to make things official on our next date."

"Oh, yeah, that makes sense." Hermione looked away under the pretense of setting down her cup. It seemed he wanted to keep dating Amelia then. "Did you want to watch something on the teli? There's a good show on about now."

They sat in comfortable silence watching, occasionally making snide remarks about what was going on, and chuckling. About halfway through, Hermione received a call. She made a move as if to go into his bedroom to talk in privacy, and he jumped up suddenly, blocking her way.

"What? I don't care if your room is messy, I won't judge." Her cell phone was ringing in her hand, waiting to be answered.

"I-I just really don't want you to go in there right now. It's, um, really embarrassing."

"Fine, I'll go to the kitchen." She flipped open her phone and answered it on her way there.

While he was waiting on the couch, he scraped a few cat hairs off it that he'd missed.

"Good news!" Shouted Hermione as she walked into the living room. "I've got the job at the book store! They're doing a background check to make sure I'm not some sort of dark criminal, and then I'm in!"

"You'll be rejected for sure then," he joked. "So, you just applied to one job and they hired you?" She nodded.

"Well, I've had some experience working. At home, during the summer, I worked at a family friend's store."

"Maybe I do need your help finding a job," he admitted.

"It will be next on our list then. After your meeting with Mr. Thompkins, we'll get to work." He visibly relaxed, knowing he'd have her help in this endeavor.

**They are weaving a complicated web for themselves! I'll update soon :) Please review!**


	12. Chapter 12: The Unwanted Revelation

**A/N: Another long chapter! I am trying to finish up the story, so the rest of them will probably be this long too. Hope that's a good thing for you!**

**Also, a special shout out to Cheshirecat23, and a general thanks to all who have reviewed :)  
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Chapter 12: The Unwanted Revelation

Draco Malfoy was in a dilemma. He was seated on the floor of his apartment staring at Boots while the cat gleefully chased around a rubber band that had strayed from a bag of crisps. He had become very attached to the orange, fluffy animal in the short amount of time he'd had it. Sleep had never been more peaceful, and his apartment had never felt so welcoming.

When the owner of Boots had just been some mysterious stranger, there had been no internal conflict. But now, every time he saw Hermione, he felt a pang in his chest that only grew stronger the more time he spent with her. He needed to give Boots back to her. Somehow, through this strange agreement between former enemies, she had become his friend. His only friend, really. Last night, talking and laughing together until late at night, he had been struck by this realization.

Giving Boots back when he first met her probably would have solved everything, but back then, she was only some girl he'd met who was putting up posters and he had selfishly chosen to keep the fact that her cat was safe and sound 9 stories up to himself. It was bad luck for him it had turned out to be Hermione. He told himself that if he'd tried to give the cat back after that, she never would have agreed to help him.

_What do I do now?_ He ran a hand through his hair and gave a sigh. _If I give Boots back, I lose Granger. She'll never forgive me. If I keep Boots, she'll either find out and I'll lose her, or I'll explode from guilt._ Guilt. It was something he was so familiar with, and yet, it had never eaten at him like this. Perhaps it was because he had never cared about something this much. What boggled his mind even more was that it was Hermione Granger he was afraid to lose. If he lost his friendship with her on top of losing Boots, he'd drift back to being the depressed, alcohol consuming, good-for-nothing deadbeat he'd been before. Probably even worse.

Hermione was due to show up in about 20 minutes, but he hadn't been able to clean the apartment yet and hide Boots. Doing that one more time felt like almost too much for his guilt ridden system. Did one have a guilt limit? If so, he felt like he was one incident away from an overdose.

* * *

><p>Hermione watched Draco as he and Amelia walked ahead of her through the Winter Wonderland. Something was definitely bothering him. It was strange, because it hadn't been there last night. <em>What could possibly have happened within the last 14 hours to have bothered him this much?<em> She was at a loss. Amelia was being good company, doing exactly as was hoped. She held Draco's hand and practically skipped from attraction to attraction. Upon discovering that Draco had never been on basic things like a carousel, or in a fun house, she made it her duty to get him to experience them all (Thankfully she hadn't stopped oggling Draco long enough to question his lack of experiences).

_I've actually got him in a fun house, like I wanted, and he's not even having any_ fun, Hermione thought as the distorted images of all three of them reflected back at her from every direction. Amelia was oblivious, only focusing on the fact that Draco kept giving her little pecks on the cheek, and was constantly holding her hand. Hermione felt more and more like a third wheel, or like the training wheels on a bike belonging to a kid who barely needed them anymore. He didn't really need her there, regardless of what he'd said previously. But the thought of not having any more of their odd hang-outs bothered her a lot more than she wanted.

By the time they had finished with the fun house, she'd come to the conclusion that Draco was mad at her. He was barely talking to her, and when he did, the bothered expression she'd seen before became more prominent. She had just decided to confront him about it with Amelia gone for a few minutes in the bathroom when he sat down next to her and gave a huge sigh.

"God, I don't know how much longer I can do this..." He massaged his temples slowly, and then looked at her. Hermione stared at him, momentarily forgetting what she'd been about to say.

"You- wait, what?"

"I've got enough on my mind without..." He trailed off.

"Without what? And, you're not...mad at me?"

"Mad at you, why would I be mad at you?"

"I don't know, you tell me," Hermione shot back.

"There has to be a reason. Why do you think I'm mad at you? Are you mad at me?"

"Well, I'm confused-"

Amelia exited the bathroom and cut their conversation short. "You two alright?" They both insisted they were, and began walking towards one of the roller coasters. 5 minutes later, they were both still scowling, and she wasn't convinced by their answer.

"Really, are you sure you're alright? Draco, you're not upset with me, are you?" Amelia looked worried, and Draco took her hand in his gently.

"No, of course not. How could I be?" He leaned down and gave her a soft kiss to reassure her. Hermione looked away quickly.

It was the first time she'd seen them actually kiss on the lips. The other things had been grating on her nerves, but this kiss made her feel different. Almost like she was in 6th year all over again, watching Ron and Lavender.

She felt the color drain from her face, and her fingernails digging into her palms as the realization hit her. _I fancy him._ She looked back at them again, smiling at each other in a romantic way and felt her throat constrict. _I, Hermione Granger, __ fancy Draco Malfoy. DRACO. MALFOY.  
><em>

With that sickening expression on his face, she could believe he was as infatuated with Amelia as she was with him.

Hermione knew it was part of the plan, that he had to play the part in order to succeed, but how much of him was acting and how much of him was enjoying this? He'd admitted to finding Amelia attractive. What if he had found her to be good company after all? _No, no, there was last night, our conversation about her, and the date._ He hadn't outright complained, but she had thought that overall he hadn't been impressed with her. Then she recalled what he'd said about continuing to date her after having talked to Mr. Thompkins. Perhaps he was finding her good enough company to consider keeping around. But then, what had he been talking about when Amelia had been in the bathroom? Had he been talking about her?

Hermione's mind raced around in circles as she followed behind the other two once more, moving their way up through the roller coaster's line. They were completely oblivious to her inner turmoil.

_No, no, no!_ She verbally berated herself. _You do not care if Draco Malfoy is attracted to another woman. You should not care._ Of all the people to move on to after Ron, she had picked the very worst. _How did this even happen?_ One moment, she had been begrudgingly helping him, the next, she had been over at his apartment late at night having meaningful conversations.

"Hermione, how do you think I'll handle my first roller coaster?" Draco asked, speaking to her for the first time since they'd been in line.

Angry, confused, and feeling slightly nauseated, Hermione replied, "I'm thinking you'll probably be scared half to death."

"We'll see about that." He smirked slightly.

"Oh, I used to hate roller coasters when I was younger. I'm still not that fond of them, but for you, Draco, I'll go," Amelia cooed.

Soon they were strapped in and moving, making the slow ascent to the peak of the roller coaster. Draco flashed her a nervous smile, and then they were speeding downwards. Hermione knew immediately that something was wrong. All the worrying had somehow made her sick, and now, she could feel the remains of her lunch swirling unhappily in her stomach. Draco was yelling at the top of his lungs next to her, whether in horror or excitement, she didn't know and didn't care. They pulled up to the platform to unload, and Hermione struggled out, and walked quickly to the exit.

"Gra-Hermione, what's wrong?" Draco ran after her, leaving Amelia behind as she grabbed her coat.

She was searching frantically for a bathroom, but there were none in sight. Finally, she settled on a nearby trash can, and sprinted towards it, emptying her stomach just as she reached it.

"That's disgusting," said Draco in a conversational tone. He was standing next to her and the trash can.

"Go away, please, or do something useful," Hermione growled, her face still halfway in the trashcan as she waited for the rest of the nausea to pass.

He immediately walked away, to her surprise, but then returned with a stack of napkins. "Here, I did something useful." She took the napkins and wiped her mouth. Her nausea gone, she sank to the ground.

"I just vomited in public."

Draco chuckled softly and knelt next to her. "Yes you did. Are you feeling alright now?"

She shook her head slightly. "I'm not sick anymore, just feeling dizzy, and embarrassed." Her eyes started tearing up at the whole situation. She wished the ground would open up and swallow her, thereby extracting her from this whole awful situation. Draco then did both the worst and best thing she could have hoped for. He put an arm around her. She involuntarily leaned into him. They stayed like that for a few moments. "I'm not mad at you, by the way," she said, suddenly wanting to clarify. _More like, mad at myself_. He helped her stand.

"I'm not mad at you either," He said, offering her a small grin.

"There you are!" Amelia was walking towards them looking annoyed. "I couldn't find you when I got off the ride. Why did you run off?"

"The contents of my stomach had a very important meeting with that trash can," explained Hermione. "I guess I got a little motion sick."

"Oh." Amelia looked disgusted.

"It's alright. No need to worry, I feel fine now."

"I'm glad. Actually though, I really should be going soon. I have to be at my parent's by 6," she said, looking at Hermione warily.

"That's too bad," lied Hermione, "Should we walk you out?" She made to take a step towards Amelia, who, to her delight, took an involuntary step backwards.

"Oh, it's okay. I can make it out fine. Draco?" She took Draco's hands, and pulled him several yards away from Hermione and the trash can. "I'll see you soon?"

Their voices drifted over to Hermione, who was standing in the fading light, trying not to look at them and failing.

"Yeah, I'll call you," Draco gave her a small peck on the cheek, but Amelia pulled him back and gave him a long kiss. Hermione tried not to roll her eyes.

"Bye," Amelia said sweetly. "Bye Hermione!" She waved cheerfully as she walked away.

Draco stood staring after her until she disappeared. "Yep, that's it. I can't do this anymore. Once I get the extra money, I'm breaking up with her."

* * *

><p><strong>So Hermione has finally admitted she has feelings for him to herself! And how will Draco resolve the Boots situation when he's still so darn selfish? Haha, I'll update soon so you can find out, and sooner if I get lot's o' reviews :)<strong>


	13. Chapter 13: The Unending Commitment

**Hey everyone! Sorry this update has taken so long! I was doing NaNoWriMo, and devoted all my writing powers to that cause. Anyways, I'm back! And I'll be updating fairly regularly again. Hope you enjoy the latest chapter! More to come soon :)**

**Also, a big thanks to all who reviewed! It definitely made me feel guilty about not updating during this last month, so good job!  
><strong>

Chapter 13: The Unending Commitment**  
><strong>

Diagon Alley was just as she remembered. It was fitted to the last detail with Christmas decorations. Everyone bustled past with cheerful faces, red with the cold, and bundled in hats and scarves. No one recognized her, thankfully, due to her own winter ensemble.

Although she had left the wizarding world for several good reasons, it didn't change the fact that she was desperately missing it for many others. The billowing robes. The odd collection of shops and merchandise in each store. The sense of wonder she got when fully immersed in that world. She was still a witch, and this was part of her, even if she knew that she couldn't live here for a time.

She stopped in Sugarplum's Sweet Shop and got a few things to tide her over the holiday season in the muggle world. Draco had mentioned that he liked the sugar quills, and so she purchased a few of those as a gift. When she entered a small cafe that had opened after the war, she saw the familiar face of Harry Potter himself. He and Ginny had planned on meeting her there for lunch. She removed her cumbersome coat, scarf, and hat, and hugged them both before joining them at their booth.

"So what have you been up to since we last saw you? I must admit, it's strange not running into you every other day," said Harry.

"Oh, nothing really. I've been going around muggle London, seeing the sights. It's been a while since I've done that, actually. Not since I was a little girl." It was close to the truth. Technically, it was the truth. Just, minus the Draco Malfoy bit. "I've even got a job at a little bookstore near my apartment. Started yesterday. I am definitely less stressed now."

"It sounds like getting away has really been good for you then," He admitted. "But hopefully you won't stay away forever, right?"

"I'm not sure..." supplied Hermione, hesitantly. With Draco in the picture, she had no idea what that did to her equation. "I suppose I'll know when it's time to return." She didn't mention that she'd been playing with the idea of continuing to live in muggle London, even if she returned to the working wizarding world.

They continued to chat and catch up on the last several weeks they'd been apart, sipping their tea and coffee slowly, and nibbling on tasty sandwiches. This had been the longest she'd been away from Harry since summer break before they'd set off for the horcruxes. While it had been to get away from the wizarding world in general, with its reporters and paparazzi, she realized she needed to make more of an effort to see her friends.

As they were rising from the booth to leave, Ginny suddenly grabbed Hermione's arm. "I almost forgot! Are you free either this next Friday or Saturday? We were thinking of going to see a muggle play thing."

"Musical," Corrected Harry.

"Yeah, musical. It's Les Miserables. I think I said that right," continued Ginny.

"Oh, I saw that when I was really young. I remember loving it...although I also remember crying," Laughed Hermione. "I don't think I have any shifts either of those evenings. Whichever works for you."

"Great! And...should I invite Neville along too? or...you know..." Ginny raised her eyebrows at Hermione.

"Yes, invite Neville," said Hermione, rolling her eyes. "And remember, it's NOT a date. Don't even try to imply that it is."

Harry looked at both of them, confused. "What about dating Neville?"

"Ginny's trying to set me up with Neville."

"I am not!" fumed Ginny. "I am only trying to include him in our outings. I gave Hermione the option of finding a date instead."

"Whatever you are planning, I'm going to enjoy being with you all," said Hermione, ending the debate. Harry had to return to work at the ministry, as his lunch hour was almost up, so they said goodbye. Hermione headed towards the leaky cauldron and made her way by bus back to her apartment. She looked at her watch. 1:30, which meant it was time. Draco was talking with Mr. Thompkins.

* * *

><p>"Mr. Malfoy! Pleasure to see you again!" Joe Thompkins observed the young man who was walking towards him. There was a marked change in him. He wondered if the pretty young woman next to him was the reason for it. His skin was practically glowing, and he had put on a few pounds, taking away the sallow, malnourished look he'd been sporting 6 months previous.<p>

"Mr. Thompkins, likewise." They shook hands cordially. "Allow me to introduce Amelia, my girlfriend." Mr. Thompkins raised his eyebrows slight surprise. That was definitely a new development. She looked, for all he could tell, entirely muggle. Although, so did he and Draco, in their attempts to blend in. There were no witches or wizards known to live in this area. Those that lived outside of the wizarding world and in muggle London tended to congregate east of this part of town. It was one of the reasons they had chosen this location for his rehabilitation.

"It's so nice to meet you, Mr. Thompkins. Draco tells me you are an old family friend?" Amelia's innocent gaze told him that she had no knowledge of the magical world.

"Oh yes, I've known him for some time. I thought I'd stop by the area to say hello. And I had a bit of news to relay to him. I hope you don't mind if I steal him for a few minutes?"

"Oh, don't worry about it. We've just finished our date," she gushed. "He took me to a cute little cafe all decorated for the season. He's such a good boyfriend."

"I'll call you later?" Draco asked her.

"Sure. Thanks for everything, love." She kissed him chastely on the lips before departing, further affirming their relationship for Mr. Thompkins.

They both watched her walk away, her coat drawn around her closely in the chilled air.

"Well, that's...an interesting development. I must say, it speaks very much of your willingness to integrate yourself into the muggle world."

"Yeah, I suppose I was just out of sorts before. Disconnected from everything I'd known. I made some effort, but now that I just sort of...went for it, I've really started to appreciate this whole world." Draco admitted.

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you two meet?"

"Well, she was..." He stopped himself, then started again. "Well, she lives on my floor. I ran into her a couple times, and she was really very nice to me. We went around muggle London quite a bit, and she showed me a number of new things. Amusement parks. Art museums." Draco's face lit up as he was talking, and Mr. Thompkins found himself smiling at how smitten the boy sounded. "She's really easy to talk to, you know? And she doesn't take any crap from me," He chuckled.

"She sounds like a good person for you," Said Mr. Thompkins, chuckling as well.

"Oh, and listen, about the job hunting," Draco sighed, looking down. "I think I've been going about it wrong. I was trying for things that I'm really not qualified for. I need to start at the bottom, I suppose. Not really used to that, after my old life."

"Yes, that's a good approach for someone in your position. No previous experience, I take it?"

"Yeah. Gra- I mean, Amelia, pointed that out to me."

"Well, I'd be happy to approve another 2 months worth of funds be put into your account, while you try this new tactic. You're going to have to put in a lot of hours to support yourself if you're only making minimum wage. Keep that in mind."

"Thank you sir, I will," Said Draco, obviously relieved. "I really do appreciate this."

"I should let you know, we'll be keeping more tabs on you, since we've given you an extension in funds. We'll need to be meeting up every two weeks."

"Oh, yes, that makes sense."

"I hope things continue to go well for you and Amelia. Bring her again to one of the meetings, she's a nice young lady." He said this in a way that he hoped conveyed to Draco that it was not a request. He had to make sure it a sincere change of heart, and not just a ploy. Draco's attitude seemed to show he was smitten, but one couldn't be too sure. Especially with the goal of this entire rehabilitation program.

"I'll make sure to do so."

"You give me hope for the others in the program." Mr. Thompkins gave Draco a pat on the arm in farewell, and they went their separate ways.

* * *

><p>Draco collapsed on his couch. Boots crawled onto his chest and kneaded him softly.<p>

This was getting more and more complicated. He had easily been granted the extra funds, but now he was fairly positive that if he broke up with Amelia, Mr. Thompkins would rescind his offer. At least, if he did it in the near future. He had to keep this up for a while longer, while Mr. Thompkins was watching him so closely. Dating Amelia in itself was going to be difficult enough. He had realized after talking with Mr. Thompkins that while he was being forced to date one girl, he was definitely falling for another.

The only way he had been able to talk with sincere fondness about his new relationship had been, instead of speaking about Amelia, to speak about Hermione.

_Oh_ _dear,_ he thought, as he stared into the eyes of his stolen cat.

* * *

><p><strong>As always, please Review! It's much appreciated :) <strong>


	14. Chapter 14: The Unqualified Applicant

**Hey guys! As promised, I'm updating more frequently now. Thanks so much for the reviews to the last chapter! I really appreciate them :) **

Chapter 14: The Unqualified Applicant

Draco's phone rang again for the 7th time since he'd walked in the door. He knew who it would be, and he had no intention of answering anytime soon. There had already been a message left for him when he arrived home, and he hadn't bothered to listen to it.

Who knew how this whole business of attraction had begun. Draco certainly didn't. And, if he was being perfectly honest, it wasn't just attraction he felt. He should have taken a hint the other day when the thought of losing her had frightened him so much. He wasn't going to argue with himself though, or try to convince himself that he felt otherwise. The feelings were there, and he was going to have to deal with them.

The real problem was staring him in the face.

"Meow!" Boots was on Draco's counter, pacing back and forth waiting for his daily meal. Draco had decided, in honor of his recent increase in funds, to splurge and buy Boots the fanciest cat food he could find.

Even with his trip to the store after meeting with Mr. Thompkins, he still had the majority of his evening free. The phone began to ring again, and he ignored it again. He could not- would not -spend time with the one person he cared about most, and was also hurting the most at that very moment (Even if it was all he could think about doing). Was it considered lying if it was simply omitting the truth? He tried to recall if he'd actually told Hermione an outright lie about her cat.

"Boots, get off the counter." Boots stared at him in indifference. Draco picked him up and plopped him on the floor, setting his fancy feast next to him. "You are the cause of all my problems," He stated unfairly. Boots continued to eat daintily, ignoring his current master. The statement, as Draco knew, was heavily countered by the fact that this cat had single-handedly motivated him in his lonely, depressed, and guilt-ridden state when nothing else had.

He reached down and pet the furry creature, who turned around mid-bite in confusion.

There was a knock at the door, which he ignored at first, but headed to answer after it's persistence. _Better to face her now, than later, when she's mad at me for ignoring her_, he told himself. _I'll probably still have no clue what to say to her._

He threw open the door and found himself face-to-face with another problem, quite possibly a bigger problem than a stolen cat. And one he had temporarily forgotten about.

"Hey there, handsome! Thought you'd fallen off the face of the planet, you weren't answering your phone!" Amelia bounded into his house without invitation.

"Hey, Amelia..." Draco's voice faded as he realized what he'd almost done. Boots was in the kitchen, just out of view of the doorway, and if it had been Hermione, everything would have been ruined. As it was, he didn't want Amelia knowing either. She had likely seen the 'lost cat' posters, and at the very least, would be surprised he hadn't mentioned he owned a cat. His mind raced as he searched for something to say to her.

"Uh, my family friend, Joe Thompkins, that you just met, he uh...he came by to tell me that, well, my Uncle died."

"Oh!" Amelia's big eyes began to fill with tears, making Draco feel guilty for the fabrication. She was a sweet girl, despite her many other...shortcomings.

Draco steeled himself to her emotional display. "I really want to be alone right now, I hope you understand."

"Are you sure? Sometimes it's better not to be alone after a tragedy like this. I can stay and comfort you!"

"Really, I think I should be alone, Amelia. I'm not like you in that regard. And," He added as an afterthought, "I think I'll need to be alone for a few days, to deal with this."

"Okay...if that's what you really want." She began walking towards the door, to his relief.

When he'd finally shut the door (after an insisted-upon kiss by Amelia) he felt much better. She would be out of his hair for two days, at the very least, and three if he was lucky. But, he was still her boyfriend, from his very own intense and false efforts. And he was going to have to be her boyfriend for quite some time.

* * *

><p>The phone rang again, but unlike the other times, it went to voicemail before the person hung up, and the familiar voice of Hermione rang out.<p>

"Hey Malfoy. I figured enough time has gone by since my other call at 3 that I can start bugging you again. Aren't you excited? If you haven't answered me soon, I'll start to assume the worst, and I'll get worried, and I'll go into overdrive planning mode to get you a job, and-"

Draco grabbed the phone, unable to resist. "And, what?" He smirked into the phone, and then immediately chastised himself (silently) for caving so easily.

She ignored his question. "So...did it work? Do we have extra time to find you a job now?"

"Mission accomplished, we have the extra funds." He moved the phone away from his ear as Hermione gave a victory yell. "Well planned indeed. He didn't even ask about anything else, just was so impressed by the fact that I was dating a muggle girl. I mean, he suggested, very strongly, that I bring her to our next meeting."

"I think he's probably just checking that you're not...well. Pretending." She left it open for him to confirm. She was almost positive he now strongly disliked having Amelia as a girlfriend. But she really really wanted to hear him say it.

"I feel bad lying...especially to Amelia. It's not her fault she's completely incompatible with me and everything she does I find annoying."

He heard Hermione snort into the phone. It was sad and mean, but it was also a bit funny how horrible the situation had ended up. He didn't even want to think about the irony that Hermione had suggested getting a girlfriend, and now, she was all he wanted. "She doesn't deserve this..." Hermione sighed.

"I know...maybe I should just tell Joe Thompkins we broke up when I come to the next meeting? I'll just face the consequences."

"When will you tell _her_?"

"Soon."

"Yeah. Soon is good."

They were both silent for a moment.

"You're rubbing off on me. I encouraged you to lie and cheat your way into money," teased Hermione.

"Yeah, well, you're rubbing off on me. I'm actually doing something noble to prevent someone from being hurt. And I'm feeling remorseful." He took on a serious tone towards the end of his sentence.

Hermione wanted to tell him that he didn't have to dwell in the past. He didn't have to become consumed by the guilt over his previous mistakes. That already in the time she'd spent with him, he'd become a better man, and she'd come to respect him...care about him..._maybe even begin to..._

"Anyways, enough about Amelia. How was your first day at work, Granger?" Draco's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"W-work? Oh, yes. It was good. I'm surrounded by books, and by other people who love books. It's very pleasant."

"It sounds perfect for you. I wouldn't mind working someplace like that. Hey, do you think that the library we visited is hiring?"

"I doubt it, but we'll check it out. Remember, now that we have the time, we are going into job hunting mode at our highest setting." She had already begun gathering sources and applications for him.

"Let's hope that with you in the picture, we get better results than I have so far..."

* * *

><p>The bookstore was the busiest she had seen it so far. Hermione had only been there a week, but this Friday afternoon was by far the most crowded. She felt a bit inadequate, unable to answer all the questions that were posed to her by customers, but overall, felt she had done well for a new employee. The hectic Christmas season didn't help matters much either, and although Hermione remained fairly level-headed, one of the new shift managers had a melt down in the stock room and quit on the spot. Thankfully, it was the end of Hermione's shift, so she didn't have to deal with the aftermath of that spontaneous decision.<p>

Halfway back to her apartment, she stopped as realization took hold of her brain. _The bookstore lost an employee...Draco needs employment!_ She hustled the rest of the way back, arriving out of breath at Draco's door, rather than her own.

"Malfoy!" She knocked impatiently a few times. There was the sound of a door slamming shut, and then the front door was swung open.

"Yes, dear Cousin Hermione?"

"My job! My shift manager-" Hermione was still catching her breath, "he quit today, and my boss is probably frantic looking for a replacement! And I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity for you! To apply!" The ends of her curly hair were wind blown and messy, and she had a frantic, energetic, happy look that made him chuckle.

"Me? A shift manager? Do you really think that's a good idea?"

"Of course! You managed all your little friends back in school. What's the difference here? Except, no threatening of families, sorry." She immediately caught herself, and felt a little guilty. It was one of the first times since their first meeting that she had brought up his past. And this time, it was in a negative way, even if she'd been making a joke. She looked up, and saw that his face had paled a bit. "I'm sorry, it just came out. Really, what I was implying, was that you have natural leadership skills."

"Yeah, ok." He ran a hand through his hair awkwardly.

"I'm really sorry. You know I don't care about that anymore."

"I know," He admitted. "Do you think they'd even take me? I don't have the experience needed."

"Honestly, I think with a recommendation from me, my boss is desperate enough that she wouldn't care. She seems to really like me so far."

"Ok, I'll go down tonight before it closes." He stared at her for a moment. "We're still in the hall. You want to come in? Before...you-know-who hears us and joins us?" He leaned in close and whispered, "and by you-know-who, I mean Amelia, not the Dark Lord."

"It's Voldemort, stop saying 'The Dark Lord'" Hermione reminded him. "And thanks, but I actually have to go back and start getting ready. I'm going out with some Hogwarts friends."

"The Boy Who Lived, I'm guessing?"

"Yes, he will be there. I'm sorry you can't come, but when all this is over..." she said, referencing his rehabilitation time. They'd discussed the topic a few times, what he'd do after he finished his 4 years in the Muggle world.

"Yeah, I know. I will, at least once. But I can't vouch for their reaction to me joining your hangouts."

"I'd never forgive them if they weren't willing to give you a chance," She promised fiercely.

"Well, some of them might not forgive you for giving me one." The dejection in his voice made Hermione wonder, briefly, if he'd overheard Ginny's vicious comments the day she'd visited.

"Well, it would be their mistake, not mine."

Draco looked down awkwardly. "I guess I should let you go get ready for your shindig. Have fun with the golden boy." Hermione didn't answer, but nodded, and he moved to shut the door.

"Don't forget to apply. We've gotta get you a job so you can stay here." She stopped herself from adding on 'with me' at the last moment.

"Agreed. And don't worry, I won't forget. I want to stay here too."

If Hermione's heart was beating a bit faster than normal on her walk down the hall, or she was smiling a little too much, she tried not to notice. It didn't escape her either that if he got this job, he wouldn't even need the extra funds from the ministry. He could end this whole facade with Amelia that much sooner, and with much less trepidation over the potential consequences.

Ginny was arriving in an hour so they could finish getting ready together. Hermione suspected it was to make sure she wore the rose colored dress she'd been convinced to buy. She spent her time taking a long bath to relax after the holiday rush at work, and attempting to blow dry her hair. Since she usually wore it curly, she was surprised to find that when it lay straight it came almost halfway down her upper arms. She vaguely wondered if Draco would like her hair this way better, and then pushed the thought from her mind. She didn't care what he thought.

Ginny arrived at approximately 5, knocking briskly on her door, holding up cases and cases of hair and makeup supplies for them to experiment with.

* * *

><p>Down the hallway from Hermione's, and equidistant from the elevator, a young woman with dark brown hair and a black cocktail dress was knocking on the door of apartment 909.<p>

"Hey Amelia, come on in, I'll be ready in a moment," a suit-clad Draco Malfoy said.

"Oh, take your time, our dinner reservations aren't for another half hour. And the musical doesn't start until 8."

"What's it called again? Something French, right?"

"I think so. Les Miserables."

**Uh oh! :) haha, hope you enjoyed the latest installment! Please please PLEASE review! I love reviews! More reviews means more motivation to update!**


	15. Chapter 15: The Unavoidable Collision

**Hey guys! So...Christmas, plus tons of traveling, plus writers block = waaay to long in between updates. Sorry! Enjoy this chapter! And more to follow soon! For real.**

Chapter Fifteen: The Unavoidable Collision

A handsome, middle-aged couple approached the table where Amelia and Draco were seated.

"Mum! Dad!" squealed Amelia, jumping up to hug them both. She turned to Draco, who was also rising, and introduced everyone. "Draco, this is my mum, Janine, and my dad, Richard. Mum, Dad, this is my boyfriend, Draco." Draco reached over to shake the tiny woman's sweaty hand, and the tall man's strong one.

They all sat down, Janine taking the seat next to Draco and looking very pleased with herself. "Draco, our daughter has nothing but praise when she speaks of you, we are so pleased to finally meet you."

"Thank you, I'm pleased to meet you too. She's very fond of you both," returned Draco.

"So, Draco, what is it you do? Work? University?" Probed Richard.

"Um..." He'd hoped to stave off the dangerous questions for a bit, but apparently Richard had other ideas. "Well, I took some time off after graduation to take care of some business with my family. Unfortunately, it took quite a while, and so my plans have been delayed by several years." He'd thought of this answer the previous night. If these were polite people, they wouldn't probe into the "family business".

"What were you hoping to do?" Asked Janine.

"Oh, you know, the usual, get a good job, work my way up."

"That's how we met, Daddy. Draco was on his way to an interview when we first talked. Although, it was really his cousin Hermione who helped us along. I think Draco was a bit too shy to talk to me at first!" She giggled obnoxiously.

"And who wouldn't be shy when talking to our miss Amelia," said Richard fondly.

The waiter approached their table and ordered their drinks, reminding them that they needed to decide on their meals and providing Draco with a reprieve from the questions to which he couldn't give honest answers. Once they'd ordered, however, Richard continued his attack. Most of Draco's responses were vague, and he felt sure Richard was beginning to doubt his daughter's choice in men. Janine, however, was quite happy with the choice, and even told Draco he should consider modeling as a career.

Draco was relieved when they finally left the restaurant, and were seated in the theater. He strategically placed himself so that he was on the end of their group, with Amelia separating him and her parents. Their seats were good, although slightly off to the right. They must have been rather expensive.

"Draco, are you going to put your arm around me or not?" Amelia whined. Draco complied, rolling his eyes when she couldn't see him. He hated when she did that. Hermione never whined. If Hermione had wanted Draco to put his arm around her, she would have said something sarcastic and funny. Well, at least she would if they were ever in that kind of a situation, he told himself.

He knew that this "relationship" was going to be ended soon, but it didn't stop the guilt from creeping in as he stopped himself from thinking of another woman whilst his arm was around this one. As if she knew exactly what he was thinking and what would make him feel even worse, Amelia lay her head on his shoulder and said, "I'm the luckiest girl in the world!"

_Please help this night to end soon!_ Draco wished fiercely.

The orchestra began to tune up, and Draco's eyes wandered over to the left side of the theater's seating, where others in the audience were still being seated. He saw a flash of red, and returned his gaze to that particular spot. "No..."

"What's that, Love?" asked Amelia lazily.

"Oh, forgot to do something before I left, nothing to worry about," Lied Draco.

He focused again on the right side, and saw that he hadn't been wrong. It was Ginny Weasley. And next to her, the Golden boy. He looked around, knowing Hermione had said she'd be accompanying them, but didn't see her. Next to the wonder couple was Neville (dressed smartly in a tux), whose date was an attractive girl in a rose colored gown, and with long silky hair. The lights began to slowly dim, but Draco continued to stare at the girl with silky hair. She was laughing, and even from the distance, Draco could see a particular expression that he knew surprisingly well. It was the face Hermione made when she was laughing, scrunching her nose and eyes in an impossibly cute way. Neville's date was Hermione Granger. His fists clenched in jealousy and shock, and it took him a moment before he was able to focus on the strange chanting that had begun on stage.

He tried not to think of the fact that Neville might be casually reaching over for Hermione's hand. He tried not to picture the surprised, yet delighted look in her eyes when he did so.

_Merlin...how could I have thought she'd ever fall for me? I've been so arrogant...and after everything I've done to her, I shouldn't have even hoped._

The darkness obscured his view completely, and he reluctantly turned his gaze towards the stage.

* * *

><p>"Me and Harry should go first," insisted Ginny as they made their way down the steps towards their seats at the theater. "And, of course, Hermione, I want to sit next to you."<p>

Hermione had to refrain herself from rolling her eyes at Ginny's obvious maneuvering of her friends. Neville moved to his newly designated seat next to Hermione and smiled somewhat knowingly at her. He kindly took her coat from her hands and laid it over her chair's back.

"It's so great to see you, Hermione. You look great."

"Thanks, Neville. It's good to have some of the original gang together again." She couldn't tell if Neville was just being nice, or if he was favoring her. What she couldn't deny, was that he was far more confident and outgoing than he'd been when they'd last spent time together, nearly six months ago. "How is teaching going? Is it strange to be a professor to some of your former classmates?"

"To be honest, it was a little intimidating, but the last three months, I realized I just needed to rise to the occasion. Treat them as a professor would, and make sure they know they're to treat me as a student would."

"You seem different now, in a good way," Hermione commented. "Not that you were anything but great before. But now, it's like, all those great qualities we saw in you, you now recognize them in yourself."

Neville blushed slightly, and momentarily reverted to his old self. "Thanks, Hermione." He looked for a moment at her. "You know, you seem different as well. I think getting away from all the media and gossip of the wizarding world has been good for you."

"Yes, that...and other things," said Hermione evasively. "Meeting new people, getting in touch with my muggle roots. Overcoming old prejudices..." Neville gave her a blank look. "I got a new cat, too, since I saw you last," she said, changing the subject quickly and immediately regretting it. "He ran away though...Boots was his name. I'm still hoping for him to turn up again."

"I'm sorry. I hope he does, I know how fond of animals you are." Ginny got up, and excused herself past her two friends to go to the restroom before the show began, and gave Hermione a knowing wink behind Neville before she walked up the stairs.

Shaking her head at Ginny's behavior, Hermione looked over at Harry. He was staring rather intently at the other side of the theater. Hermione followed his gaze, and swallowed nervously at what she saw. Shockingly blond hair that could only belong to one person.

So, Draco had come to see Les Miserables as well. Hermione looked to Draco's right, and saw Amelia and two people she assumed were her parents. It seemed a bit counterproductive, to Hermione, to go out on a double date with a girl and her parent's, if one was planning on breaking up with said girl shortly thereafter. _Was he just lying to me about disliking Amelia?_ She didn't know why he'd do that, or why he'd go on an outing like this. _And why didn't he tell me about it?_ Her eyes widened as Draco placed his arm snugly around Amelia, and the girl nestled her head sweetly on his shoulder. Hermione glanced away quickly.

"Harry, how're things with Ginny?" She watched as Harry dragged his eyes away from Draco. _Perhaps he hasn't recognized Draco yet...  
><em>

"Hmm? Oh, um, really good, I suppose." His eyes darted back to where Draco was seated.

"You suppose?" She asked sarcastically.

Harry looked back at her and smiled. "Sorry, no, I just...never mind. What did you say?"

"You. Ginny. How are things?"

"Right, sorry. Ginny and I are great. Really great." He lowered his voice, "Actually, I'm thinking of asking her a very important question soon. But don't tell anyone."

"Wow! That's so great!" Hermione whispered enthusiastically. "When are you thinking of doing it?"

"I think probably on New Year's Eve...At midnight. Romantic, right?"

"Yes, very," Hermione saw Harry glance up behind her, and turned to see Ginny coming back down the steps. "So, Harry, how's work?" She said, her voice returning to normal volume as she changed the subject quickly.

Ginny sat down between them as Harry answered. "Work's been slow. Honestly, most of the jobs I've been doing lately have been fairly boring and safe." He smiled. "I don't want anything particularly dangerous, but I do want to feel like I'm being useful."

"Let's be honest, after what we've done, everything's going to seem a bit boring. For Merlin's sake, you defeated the darkest wizard of our age by seventeen years of age. I'd say it's all downhill from here," joked Neville. Hermione and Harry laughed, and she could see that the comment had somehow made her friend feel better.

The lights began to dim, and everyone focused their gaze on the stage below.

It had been years since Hermione had seen the musical, but it touched her in a way that it hadn't when she'd been young. By intermission, she and Ginny were crying, and the boys were dabbing the corners of their eyes. They made their way up the stairs in an attempt to get refreshments along with the rest of the audience. It was slow going, and Harry kept pushing them up to go faster, which inevitably made them slower.

When they got to the hall, Hermione began to be suspicious, as Harry shuffled everyone towards the right side entrance to the theater, which was significantly farther then the left side entrance. Then, she saw the hair again, platinum blond and getting closer every second. "Harry, I'm going to go-" She desparately began.

"-I think I see...Yes, bloody hell, it's Draco Malfoy." Harry pushed forward again, and Ginny and Neville followed behind.

They were barely 10 feet away when Draco finally saw them, and by then it was too late for him. Hermione felt particularly bad for him being caught in this situation. and then she felt odd, as she saw his eyes jump between her and Neville half a dozen times.

"Potter, fancy seeing you here." He extended his hand in a calm and collected way. Harry took it hesitantly.

"You're at...a muggle musical..." Ginny said dumbly. Hermione saw Amelia and her parents standing behind Draco, and poked Ginny in the ribs.

"Not here...people around," Muttered Hermione lowly.

"Hello, Ginny, Longbottom...Granger," Draco's voice pitched slightly as he said her name. Hermione blushed, hoping no one noticed, and that Draco would remember not to give themselves away. "If you excuse me, I'll just-"

"Draco, aren't you going to introduce me to your friends? I didn't know you had any in the area!" Amelia's voice broke through the almost get-away.

"Ah, yes, this is my girlfriend, Amelia, and her parents, Janine and Richard. They were so kind as to treat us tonight to this musical."

Hermione held her breath, hoping Amelia had not recognized her with her straight hair. Some polite words were uttered, and they were moving towards the refreshment room, when Amelia gasped.

"Oh my goodness, Hermione? You look so great! I hardly recognized you!"

Harry turned and looked at them both confused, "You know each other?"

"Of course we do! Didn't you know? She's Draco's cousin!"

Her three companions stood for a moment staring at Amelia. Harry was the first to recover, and realized something was going on beyond his knowledge. He looked at Hermione briefly, then looked at Draco's muggle companions, and appeared to make up his mind.

"Ah, yes, of course. I forgot. Well, we'll be off to get some refreshments, it was nice meeting you Amelia."

Neville and Ginny followed suit, shook hands with Amelia and her parents, nodded at Draco, and continued on to the next room.

Hermione and Draco stood staring at each other without speaking for a moment, and she felt like a thousand words were spoken in the mutual look of horror shared.

"I guess I'll see you later, Draco." She backed up slowly, careful not to get jostled by those still exiting the theater. "You look lovely Amelia, and it was a pleasure to meet your parents." She followed her friends quickly, and headed immediately for the alcohol.

**Uh-oh...looks like someone's busted! haha, hope you enjoyed! Please review :)**


	16. Chapter 16: The Unchangable Companions

**Thanks for the reviews for the last chapter! I'm almost done with this story, but there are a few twists left still. Please REVIEW after you are done reading! Enjoy :)**

Chapter Sixteen: The Unchangeable Companions

Harry was waiting for her by the fruit. As she walked towards him, his grim expression became visible and Hermione contemplated grabbing a few of the toothpicks on the table to defend herself with.

Ginny and Neville were gathering sandwiches from a nearby table, but she could tell they were keeping their distance with their sidelong glances thrown her way. She stood meekly next to Harry, hoping he would say something.

"So..." she began when he remained silent, "That was...wow. I didn't plan on telling you this way..."

"Were you planning on telling us at all? Whatever THAT was?" Harry asked bluntly.

She felt her eyes fill with tears that had been primed from her emotional experience during the play. "Harry, I would have, I just...I didn't know how to tell you without possibly getting him in trouble."

"And getting Malfoy in trouble is...bad?"

"Yes. It is." She took a deep breath. "Malfoy and I are friends now... I've forgiven him for what he's done...Who he was. He's shown that he's a better person now." _That's something I never expected to tell Harry..._

"This is completely absurd. This whole...situation." He paused, and it felt like an eternity before he continued. "But, you're my best friend, and I know you wouldn't just be all chummy with Malfoy without good reason."

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. Harry was trusting her...he was on her side. "Now really isn't the time to explain everything, but I will. I promise. After the show is over." They hugged briefly, and Ginny and Neville took that as a sign that they could approach.

"Ginny, before you jump on Hermione for keeping this from us," Ginny huffed indignantly at Harry's insinuation, "-yes, love, I can see that look in your eyes that you sometimes get - anyways, before you do anything...drastic, please hear me out."

"Alright," sighed Ginny.

"Let's remember that this is Hermione we're dealing with. The brightest witch of our age. I've always been able to count on her to keep her head on straight. Let's be honest, if there's one person who's proven herself to be trustworthy, it's Hermione. So," he said, turning to Hermione, "tell her what you told me."

"Me and Malfoy...well, we're friends. And, he's changed. I mean, he's still, him, but not so nasty and hateful. And bigoted. And arrogant." This round explaining hadn't gone so eloquently.

Ginny stood silently for a moment staring at her friend. "No. I don't believe it. I believe you trust him, and I believe your sincerity, but I also believe in his lying, evil, horrible arse, and I think you've been deceived." Sudden comprehension showed in her eyes. "Oh...it WAS him that day! In your apartment building!"

"Gin, I couldn't tell you then...I thought-," Began Hermione.

"-And you knew it!"

"Yes, I knew it, and I knew you'd react badly! You reacted badly when you thought it WASN'T him!" Hermione realized she'd raised her voice, and looked around. There were a few people staring, but only those very near by. "Look, let's not do this here. I will explain everything to you later. But please, please, please, remember that I wouldn't have done any of this without good reason."

After a moment of hesitation, Ginny gave a resigning look. "Fine...I'll wait." She glanced at the opposite side of the large room where Draco and Amelia were arm in arm. "And Merlin knows I want to find out why he's got a muggle girlfriend." Grabbing Harry's hand, she said, "Come on, I need a drink. Hermione's got the right idea."

Hermione gazed over apologetically at Neville. "I'm really sorry you got dragged into this mess tonight."

"It's alright. I've dealt with worse fights between my students," he teased. "Come on, you've got to try these sandwiches, their amazing."

* * *

><p>The evening was drawing to an end, but for Draco the closer it got, the slower time seemed to go. He wanted to rip off the mask he was having to wear around Amelia and her parents. Not only was meeting her parents and acting besotted pure torture, but he didn't have a clue what had happened with Hermione and her friends.<p>

There'd been a hug between Hermione and Harry, but it wasn't that comforting to him. The Golden Trio would always remain friends. They had been through too much to let something like this tear them apart. His real concern was that somehow they would convince Hermione to drop him as a friend. It wouldn't be that difficult, really, he admitted. He didn't have a lot going for him.

Family of pureblood extremists. Supporting and housing the darkest wizard of their age. Unprovoked attacks at school. Merciless teasing, hassling, and insulting. Convicted criminal. Cat thief.

He sighed and looked out the window of the cab they'd taken back to their apartment building. Richard and Janine had said farewell already at the theater and taken their own cab.

Amelia grabbed his hand and twined her fingers through his. "What are you thinking about?" She inquired innocently.

_I'm thinking that I should end this as soon as we step out of this cab. _Aloud, he said, "Oh, just the musical."

"Wasn't it amazing? I cried more than I ever have in my life, I'm sure!"

"I admit, even I got misty-eyed towards the end." He gave her a tiny smile and turned his head towards the window again for the remainder of the drive.

When they got to her door, Amelia looked at him expectantly. "Listen Amelia..." He began. "I-" He started, then stopped. It wasn't the right timing. As much as he wanted to end things as soon as possible, as much as she deserved to have someone who truly cared instead of someone who was leading her on under false pretenses...after such a night, it wasn't right. Meeting her parents, and being on a double date with them, it would be a horrible way to end the evening, and he knew it.

"Yes?" Her face turned apprehensive.

"I was just wondering if you wanted to go to coffee tomorrow morning, around 9. I have an errand to run after, but I thought it might be nice. There's something I needed to talk to you about."

"Of course! I have some errands to run tomorrow too, so that works out great." A coy smile played on the corners of her mouth as she asked, "Draco, did you want to come in? I mean...the night doesn't have to end here, you know."

Mind racing, Draco managed to stutter out, "Sorry...I've got a...headache. I'm going to turn in for the night."

"Oh, ok."

"I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Draco," she said softly, leaning forward.

It was too much like kissing before killing a victim, and he couldn't do it. Instead, he moved his head to the right and placed a quick kiss on her cheek.

"'Night."

The door closed, and he felt a very small weight lifted, knowing that in less than 12 hours, he'd be a free man. Free from the guilt, free from the unwanted attention, free to win Hermione from the clutches of Neville Longbottom. He knew it was a long shot, but he was still going to try. Hermione was the most important person to him right now, and he doubted those feelings would change anytime soon.

He compiled a To-Do for himself once back in his apartment.

_1. Break up with Amelia_

_2. Come up with plan to return Boots - make self look good in process/avoid blame  
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_3. Execute plan  
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_4. Apply to bookstore management position  
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_5. Buy Hermione fabulous Christmas present  
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He made a sub list underneath number one and wrote: _a. Set up time and place_, and then promptly checked it off so he could feel like he'd accomplished something.

Freeing Boots from his room, he turned on the television and lay on the sofa. Nearly an hour went by as he sifted through idea after idea, softly petting the cat beside him, before he came up with a solid plan.

There was an animal shelter several blocks away that he'd seen. Hermione had surely checked there already, but shelters were always picking up new animals, right? He would find a small child, bribe the small child, and have it bring Boots to the shelter. In this way, there would be no direct connection to him. He would suggest an outing with Hermione, casually direct her towards the shelter under the pretense of finally trying Pho. When they neared the shelter, he would convince her to check once more, and low and behold, Boots would be there waiting. Draco would be a hero, and Hermione and Boots would be reunited. And he'd insist upon Hermione magically cleaning her flat to get rid of the dog urine remnants.

_Well done, Draco,_ he thought to himself. _It's practically flawless._ He grabbed his To-Do list and checked another item off.

* * *

><p>"And you really got him to ride a roller coaster?" asked Ginny, wide-eyed.<p>

"Yes, and he loved it," grinned Hermione. "Of course, shortly after, I threw up in front of him." Everyone laughed at this as she continued. "He was really nice about it though, made me feel so much better. Even got me some napkins."

"Wow...I just...It's so hard for me to imagine a considerate Malfoy," chimed in Neville.

"Trust me, he still is plenty snarky and big-headed. But, I think that couldn't ever be beaten out of him," said Hermione, rolling her eyes at the mere thought of that side of him. If she really thought about it though, that was part of why she liked him.

"So, this Amelia person doesn't know that she was part of a plan?" Asked Harry, reaching for his pint of ale. They were at a pub within walking distance of her apartment where she filled them in on the rest of her experiences with Draco. Minus the fact that she was falling for him in every way, of course.

"Yeah...well, that's something we both feel very bad about. He really had no qualms about dating her in the beginning. She's nice, and fairly pretty. But -and I'll attest to this- she's possibly the most annoying person I've ever been around. I have to control myself with teasing her whenever we're together. Really, the comments go over her head, but still. The looks Draco shoots me..." They all chuckled again and took sips from their drinks.

"What would happen if the ministry found out about you helping him?" Asked Harry, concern crossing his features.

Hermione put her drink down. "Honestly, I don't know. I don't think they'd like the fact that we tricked them into giving Draco more time and money...but, considering the goals of the rehabilitation program, he's actually progressing quite far under my tutelage. I just figured it was better if no one ever found out. Too late for that now."

"We'll keep it to ourselves, don't worry," assured Neville, and everyone else agreed.

They finished their drinks soon after, and got up to leave. While the boys were in the bathroom, Ginny spoke with Hermione.

"I admit, Draco really does seem changed for the better. I'm sorry for what I said earlier."

"Thanks Gin, that means a lot."

"But, just because he's changing doesn't mean he's perfect...All I'm saying is, be careful." She placed an hand on Hermione's arm. "It's easier for you...you didn't grow up with all the pureblood drama. And you didn't lose some of your family..." she swallowed. "But, I want you to know I'm going to try to forgive him. If he proves himself. And, I don't really want to be all chummy with him just yet. I need some time."

"I know. It's a lot to process."

"We're here for you no matter what though. We always have been, and we always will be." She felt Ginny squeeze her arm in affection as Harry and Neville emerged from the bathroom and came towards them.

"Oh, hey, Hermione, did Ginny tell you about the book Luna gave us?" Hermione shook her head.

Ginny's face brightened, "I almost forgot! You'll love it, it's a book about cats. I mean, well, about cats and magic. I think it may help you find Boots." She fished it out of her purse and handed it to Hermione.

"That could be really helpful. Thank you!"

"I forget how it came up, but we mentioned to her that your cat had gone missing since you moved and she brought this out. It may be absolutely useless, but you know her. It's either ridiculous, or it's brilliant." They exited the building and looked both ways. "I think we'll apparate back from the alley next to this building. Seems inconspicuous enough," explained Harry.

"I can walk you back to your apartment building if you want," offered Neville. "You said it's a few blocks away?"

"Yes, that'd be nice, thanks, Neville." They both walked Harry and Ginny to the alleyway and said goodbye before continuing down the street. The tell-tale "pop" sounded behind them, and they both jumped involuntarily, laughing at each other afterward.

They conversed easily as they made their way towards her building, but Hermione saw a few former nervous habits return in Neville's manner and knew what was coming.

"Hey, Hermione..." began Neville as they stopped in the lobby to say goodbye, "I was wondering if you'd want to get dinner sometime. Just us. This was really nice being out with you tonight."

He was so sweet and sincere, Hermione felt her heart deflate at the thought of breaking his. "I had a nice time tonight too, Neville, and I'm flattered...but..." She tried to think of the nicest way to say no.

"But... you're in love with Malfoy, aren't you," supplied Neville, giving her a small, defeated smile.

"No! I mean- well, I wouldn't say 'in love'...No. I mean, me, and Malfoy, we're friends, and that's all we're going to be. He has a girlfriend."

"Well, maybe not in love, yet. But you know what I mean. I could tell from the way you talked about him at the pub." He touched Hermione's chin gently and lifted her face, which had lowered in embarrassment. "If he's really changed in the way you say, then you've got no reason to be embarrassed. And as for the girlfriend, you said yourself, the end is near."

"I'm sorry, Neville..."

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. I figured it was worth a shot. And honestly," He chuckled a bit, "Ginny was trying to set us up. So, she'll likely be more upset than me."

They both laughed at that. "Neville, this really was nice, seeing you again. You are one of my dearest friends. We all need to see more of each other."

"Yes, I agree. Come by Hogsmeade some weekend and we'll all have lunch."

With a friendly hug, they parted for the night.

Hermione got ready for bed quickly and lay down in her bed. She wondered briefly what Malfoy was doing, how his evening went after their awkward run-in. Then, she shook her head to clear her thoughts, and grabbed the book that Ginny had given her.

She smiled at the cover photo, which showed an orange tabby similar to Boots. For the first time in almost 2 weeks, she began to have hope that she'd find him.

**A/N: Oh, Also, I edited the previous chapter. Not sure if you guys noticed the mistakes, but I did, and they were bugging me enough to actually change them. Usually I'm too lazy...**

**ALSO: REVIEW PLEASE! THANKS!  
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	17. Chapter 17: The Unloaded Baggage

**Hello! Another chapter for all of you :) A special shout out to CheshireCat23 (Again) who has reviewed every single chapter so far. You are awesome! And for those who haven't yet, check out CheshireCat23's stories, they are also awesome! And, to the person who reviewed with a guest account, that was the sweetest comment I've ever gotten, thank you so much! I would have PMed you, but I didn't know who you were. Thank you everyone who has reviewed the last few chapters, every single one still makes me all happy :) Enjoy the latest installment!**

**Oh, also, I redid the first chapter. I'm planning on redoing the first ones, and FINALLY correcting some of the minor mistakes in the later ones that I found, as well as those that you guys found.  
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Chapter 17: The Unloaded Baggage

It was fairly slow for a Saturday morning so near Christmas. In fact, the small store had been completely empty for the past 10 minutes. Meredith Jones idly twisted her graying brown hair as she sat behind the cash register. She was stuck covering the shift of Jenny Morris, who had up and quit during the holiday rush the previous day. Her other shift supervisor, Harriet, never seemed able to cover anything when it was needed. Hermione Granger, the dear, had phoned after her shift to inform her that a friend had applied for the spot the previous night after all the hullabaloo, but Meredith had heard nothing thus far.

The bell on the front door jingled as someone entered the store, and Meredith hastily sat up and tried to look friendly. Her eyes fell on the customer and she felt her breath catch in her throat. It was a young man; tall, slim, and strikingly blond. But it was his face that really made her stare. She found herself fighting the urge to primp her hair, and almost laughed at the ridiculousness. After all, she was probably twice his age.

"Hello, welcome to The Book Nook! Are you looking for anything in particular?"

He smiled in greeting and approached the counter where she was seated.

"Actually, I'm looking for the manager, Meredith. Would that be you?" His voice was a nice baritone, and there was a soothing quality to it that she liked.

"That's me! Are you Miss Granger's friend?"

"Yes, I'm Draco Malfoy. It's a pleasure to meet you, Meredith." _What a strange name_, thought Meredith as he shook her hand gracefully. He continued, "I know Hermione probably mentioned I'd be in last night before the store closed, but something came up that prevented that. I'm sorry for the delay."

"Oh, don't worry about it. You're here first thing this morning. Are you an early bird by any chance?"

"Oh yes!" He said enthusiastically, and she smiled in relief.

"Well, that'll work perfectly. Hermione works the midday shift, so you'll have some overlap in schedules, which will be nice for you, I'm sure."

The young man stared at her in silence, his handsome face momentarily confused. "You- You're hiring me?"

"As long as the background check comes out alright, you can stay. I'm a big believer in first impressions. You don't seem to be a bad sort, and Hermione gave you a lovely recommendation." She sighed. "Honestly, I am rather desperate, and I'm choosing to trust that you'll know what you're doing."

"Merlin...I did not expect that, but I guess this is my lucky day. Thank you, and I promise I'll be a hard worker."

"Do you have any leadership or management experience?" She asked, almost as an afterthought.

"I, um, well, I spent the last 3 years of school on the... leadership committee. We were called 'Prefects'. We helped maintain order in the school, along with other...things. Coordinating things, meetings...discipline."

"Well, that's better than nothing. Any job experience?"

"Sorry, no. This'll be my first official one," he said apologetically.

She waved her hand dismissively. "No matter, I still want you. Can you start tomorrow? Bring in your ID, and you can fill out the paperwork. It should be processed quickly, and you can start training."

"If it would help, I can fill the paperwork out now. I've got everything already."

"I like you more every moment!" gushed Meredith. Draco Malfoy would be great, she knew it. He seemed smart, so she had no doubt he'd pick up on what needed to be done quickly. Hermione chose her friends wisely, it seemed. "Let me get Steven from the back, he's doing stock right now. He'll man the front while we take care of the paperwork."

* * *

><p><em>Why isn't he picking up?<em> thought Hermione after calling Draco for the third time that morning. She saw the time on the screen of her phone and let out an "eep" when she saw that she was running late. Throwing on her work attire, she sprinted out her door and ran the several blocks to the bookstore.

Even with the biting cold, she had trickles of perspiration running down her back by the time she got to the front door. She paused at the entrance and tamed her hair which had come undone from its plait during her wild running. Stepping through the door, she began to approach the back when she froze.

"-and this button completes the transaction?" asked a familiar voice.

"Yes, and then the receipt should start printing. Though, sometimes it can be a bit glitchy. If it does that, make a joke to the customer or something to keep them distracted," said Meredith helpfully. "Then, once it does print, place it inside the front cover like so...and then place everything in the bags."

"Ah...ok, that makes sense. It looks better that way." Hermione approached the two of them silently, and they didn't notice her until she was standing in front of the counter.

"Oh, hey Hermione," said Draco casually. He was dressed in the ill-fitting polo shirts employees were required to wear. Of course, on him it looked perfectly fine. The odd light blue color even complimented his grey eyes.

"Hey Draco, Meredith," she returned. "I didn't expect to see you here today."

"Oh, yes, he came all prepared, and I hired him on the spot! He's such a fast learner. Good recommendation, my dear!" gushed Meredith. "Oops, looks like we're out of paper," she muttered, and excused herself to the back to retrieve some.

"Someone's enthusiastic about you," teased Hermione when the stock room door closed. Draco flashed her a face that made her chuckle before she followed in the direction that her manager had gone.

Once in the back, she clocked in (thankfully on-time) and located her work apron. Meredith found her as she was securing it around her waist.

"I don't know where you found him, but he is such a doll! So charming...I'm sure the customers will love him."

"Yes, I'm sure," said Hermione, attempting to hide a huge grin.

"Now, I'd like you to show Draco the ropes today. Let him shadow you when you're helping customers, and when you're free, help him learn the layout of the store, and all that. Show him how things are run. I'll start training him for the supervisor position tomorrow when Harriet's here to supervise the store. I'm sure it'll be nice for him to have a friend be the one to show him around." Hermione agreed and went out to find him.

What she really wanted to do was to ask Draco about what had happened after their run-in at the theater. Was he still dating Amelia? Had she questioned Hermione and her friends' strange behavior? Unfortunately, Draco's first day on the job was really not the ideal time to try and get away with chit-chat, so Hermione held her tongue. Things picked up in the store shortly after, and the rest of the morning was spent helping customer after customer.

At 1 o' clock, they were finally told to go on lunch, and they went two stores down to a tasty cafe for sandwiches.

"So you're still alive. Potter and Weaslette didn't kill you for associating with me," Draco joked as they sat down.

"Ha-ha, so NOT funny though, Malfoy. They were pretty mad at me. Though it was more for keeping things from them, than who I became friends with. Give them more credit," returned Hermione, sipping her tea haughtily.

"And, you're not banned from seeing me?" Asked Draco, calmly.

"Obviously," She said, rolling her eyes as she gestured to the two of them sitting together. For a moment, it crossed Hermione's mind that it would have almost been a romantic situation to be banned from seeing him...like Romeo and Juliet. _Oh, bad comparison. _She thought. _I do not want that ending._

"Well, I've made quite the rebel out of you, so I can't be too sure you aren't just defying them right now," smirked Draco.

"That is true," smiled Hermione. "I'd be here either way." She looked down and stirred her tea, fighting the blush that she felt creeping over her cheeks.

Draco looked at her for a moment, and it appeared she'd caught him off guard with her statement. She tried changing the subject, and asked the first thing that popped into her mind.

"So, how's Amelia?"

This time, it was Draco's turn to smile. "I'm a free man." He sighed. "I really dragged it out too long...and I would have done it sooner, but her parents had bought us those tickets, and I felt obligated. Anyways, we talked this morning over coffee, and it's over."

Hermione tried to hide the amount of relief she felt when he said that, but she wasn't able to stop herself from grinning like an idiot. "That's good. I'm glad it's finally done. I mean, it wasn't really fair to her." She cleared her throat. "And I can't believe you put off breaking up with her in order to go on a double date with her _parents._ Are you an idiot?"

"No! I just thought...since they'd already bought the ticket..."

Hermione shook her head. _Men! They really don't think things through sometimes._ "Draco, meeting her parents is basically telling her and her parents that you are serious about the relationship."

"Oh."

"Well, nothing you can do about it now." She tapped her nails on the table awkwardly. "So, what did you say to her?"

"Um, I told her that, I just wasn't feeling the same about her, that it was me, not her. You know, the usual cliche relationship stuff. Oh, and I did tell her that she came into my life at a time when I really needed her, and I will always appreciate my time with her." He chuckled. "I just didn't tell her that what I needed her for was to pull off a lie to a secret magical government and trick them into giving me money."

"Somehow, I think she's much happier not knowing," said Hermione sarcastically.

Their sandwiches were brought out, and they ate while chatting amiably. They had been surprisingly busy the last few days, and found they had a lot more to catch up on than they had thought. Eventually, the conversation returned to the topic of the musical.

"I definitely saw tears. There's no denying it, Draco Malfoy," teased Hermione, finishing off her last bite of sandwich.

"I got 'misty-eyed', that's all. That's a huge difference. There was no overflowing," he defended.

"Alright, I'll let you call it 'misty-eyed' if you want, to preserve your dignity, but I know what I saw."

"Oh, look at the time, I think we'd better be getting back now, don't you think?" asked Draco, looking at his watch with an exaggerated gesture.

"Alright, change the subject why don't you." They both stood and grabbed their coats.

"Okay, on a different subject...do you want to go get Pho next week? You did promise," he reminded her.

"Um...ok, yeah." She tried not to act flustered. They'd spent loads of time together, but nothing either of them had proposed sounded quite so much like asking someone on a date as Draco's question did just then. They exited the cafe in silence. Before they walked into the bookstore, Hermione stopped him. "Hey, Draco?"

"Mmhmm?"

"What are you doing for Christmas?"

He paused for a moment, and a look of sadness passed over his face. "Well, good ol' dad is out of prison, and gracing the Manor with his presence...so, even if I was given permission from the ministry, I wouldn't go back home if they paid me a hundred month's wages. So, I'll likely be sitting in my apartment with me, myself, and I."

"Well, I'll be at the Weasley's for part of the day, but...I thought maybe me and you could have a Christmas celebration when I get back. I won't bother inviting you to their house...I know, aside from being illegal, it would be every kind of bad."

"Nah...don't worry about me, Granger. Stay and have fun with your friends."

"But, you're my friend too. And, no one should be alone on Christmas." She smiled at him.

"I see there's no convincing you, so I guess I'm agreeing?"

"Yes. Yes you are." She pushed the door open to the bookstore and they went in.

**Thanks for reading :) If you liked it, please review! If you didn't like it, please review!**


	18. Chapter 18: The Unfinished Transaction

**I'm trying to edit a beginning chapter for every new chapter I post, so that's why it's taking me so long, sorry! I also finished my very detailed outline for the story (Though I've always had a rough outline). SO, chapter 2 is edited :)  
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**As an apology, I posted my longest chapter yet! I think...anywho, enjoy! And as always, REVIEW! Remember, I WILL change most things (misspellings, storyline gaps, awkward wording, factual errors. I'll even add in little suggestions you might have if they fit well) so please, let me know!**

Chapter 18: The Unfinished Transaction**  
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"Hermione?"

Hearing her name, she glanced up from _Sense and Sensibility_ towards the muffled greeting at the door. Rising from her comfortable position on her favorite chair, she went to the door and opened it to find the last person she'd expected.

"Amelia!" exclaimed Hermione. "Please, come in." Her manners returned after the momentary shock.

"Oh, no thank you..." replied Amelia, taking a tiny step backwards. The break-up had not gone nearly so well for Amelia as it had gone for Draco, if her state of appearance was anything to go by. Swollen eyes from crying had prevented the application of any makeup, and she wore a t-shirt and jeans, far different from her usual fashionable self. She was surprisingly plain and vulnerable without all of her normal getup.

"How...how are you doing?" Hermione ventured. Perhaps it was the fact that she was no longer a threat (If she ever was that), or maybe it was the pity she was feeling at seeing Amelia like this, but she found she didn't dislike the girl any more.

At this question, fresh tears started pooling in Amelia's eyes. She blinked quickly, and gave a small smile. "I'm managing. Have you talked to Draco recently? Is he well?"

"He's doing alright. He's got a job, actually."

A look of relief passed over Amelia's face. "Good. I know he was worried about that for so long. It probably didn't help matters much to have spent all that money on me..."

"Nonsense," Hermione retorted at seeing the guilt come over Amelia's face. If anyone was to feel guilty, it was she. "You were exactly what he needed. You helped him get to where he is. He's very grateful for the time you spent together, even if it was so short."

"I know, that's what he told me," Amelia began, but her voice became choked with emotion. "I just thought that...that...you know... I thought he was The One!" Hermione pulled her into a hug as the tears began in earnest. _That's a bit alarming,_ she thought to herself as she stroked Amelia's dark hair, lank from lack of washing.

"Shhh...it's alright...everything's going to be alright."

"I mean, he met my p-p-parents! He even likes... Katy Perry! I've never met any guy who likes her...How will I ever find another guy like him?" Hermione doubted very much that Draco even knew who Katy Perry was. It was probably just another white lie to join the rest of them. Amelia's crying soon subsided as Hermione continued to hold her.

"There are many guys out there much better than Draco. And more suited for you. I know it's hard to think of right now, but it'll happen."

"You think so?" Asked Amelia, moving out of Hermione's arms and wiping away her tears with the back of her hand.

"Oh, I know so," Said Hermione, confidently. "Honestly, you probably got out just in time...Draco's parents are, well, a nightmare." Amelia's eyes widened. "They hate me, because I'm not good enough for their family." This seemed to comfort Amelia more than anything else had, so Hermione continued, racking her brain for all of Draco's faults. "He's also very...stubborn. And selfish. And mean. If you'd known him for as long as me, you'd have seen this."

"Yes, I suppose cousins see the good and the bad..." Amelia mused. She glanced down at her right hand where her hand was clasped tight to the handles of a Christmas bag, appearing to remember it was there. "I almost forgot why I came here...It was to deliver this," she held it up.

"For...me?" Asked Hermione in confusion.

"Oh, sorry, no. It's for Draco...I bought it before he broke up with me. I don't really know what else to do with it. I don't want it sitting around in my house to remind me of things..."

Hermione took the bag gingerly from Amelia, then set it down inside her apartment. "I understand. And I'll make sure it gets to him."

"Thanks Hermione," Amelia gushed, throwing her arms around Hermione. "I feel better now about everything. I'm glad I talked to you."

"I'm glad I could help," Hermione said, backing a step into her apartment when she was released, and feeling slightly uncomfortable with the level of touchy-feeliness. "Have a Happy Christmas."

"You too. Goodbye!"

Hermione shut the door, and immediately lifted up the present out of the bag, shaking it to try and figure out its contents. It was heavy, and it rattled slightly.

"Hmm..." With her other hand, she reached for her cell phone and dialed.

"I would wait about ten minutes for you-know-who to get safely into her apartment, but then you should come over to my place. I'm not making an entire Christmas meal on my own, you know..."

* * *

><p>"Oh my God, Malfoy, how have you not starved to death?"<p>

Draco stopped mixing the now burnt ham, onion, and garlic mixture and dumped it in the trash in defeat. "Look, I know how to use the microwave, at least. And I cook things in my oven all the time. It's not my fault I had servants cooking for me growing up."

"By servants, are you referring to your enslaved house-elves? And by cooking 'things' in your oven, are you referring to those precooked, frozen meals the ministry stocked you up on?"

"They're freed now, just so you know. The house-elves, I mean," he muttered in defense, ignoring her second question.

"Come on, I'll walk you through it," she sighed, abandoning her own pan of parsnips, grabbing his pot, and wiping it clean of all burnt residue. Insisting he cut everything himself first, she then showed him the proper temperature, amount of oil, and how to stir. "See how the onions are getting slightly clear? We can add the garlic now." She waited while he complied. "Now, add in the brussel sprouts."

"My arm is tired," Draco complained.

"Well, if you slowed down a bit, it wouldn't be," she instructed, placing her hand over his on the spatula, and showing him how quickly to stir the concoction. "That's better." She made the mistake of glancing up at his face, and saw he was already looking at her. Their eyes met, and she hastily removed her hand from his, clearing her throat. "Yes, right, um, just keep that up for a bit, and it should be done soon." She returned to her parsnips and they worked in awkward silence for a few minutes.

Being in such close proximity with him was doing a number on her nerves. Along with the usual fears one has in potential dating scenarios, Hermione's brain was going rampant with the other issues this particular situation called up. Really, the thoughts hadn't left her alone for long since her moment of revelation at the carnival. Her biggest worry was that if her friends had such a strong reaction to merely being friends with Draco Malfoy, what would they say to her dating him? And if she started dating him, how much did his rehabilitation extend into his romantic life? _Would he be true to me? Would he respect me?_

"Hey, Granger?" Draco interrupted her thoughts.

"Yes?" she responded as she took her parsnips from the burner.

"Do you have any wine?"

Nodding vigorously, she said, "Oh, yes, wine. Wine would be good. I'll go get some."

The wine was still packed in one of her last boxes in her closet, so she went off in search of it, grateful to be out of the same room as Draco for a moment.

Filling two glasses to the brim, they continued their preparation of tomorrow's feast. Draco picked things up fairly quickly, and by the end of their cooking, he was following Hermione's recipe book for bread sauce on his own while she put together the pudding. Hermione was laughing loudly at a joke Draco had made about Rita Skeeter, and he was filling up her wine glass which had emptied for the third time. His own glass, she had lost track of how many times it had been filled.

Draco slung an arm around Hermione's shoulders. "Granger, we should be professional chefs. We're amazing! Look at all this," he said, gesturing the numerous dishes they now had. "Merlin, we're not expected to eat all this on our own, are we?"

"It's Christmas, Malfoy, we have to eat every last bite," she stated, straight-faced. Her face broke into a smile as his eyes widened, and she giggled again, "I'm _joking, _for goodness sake. I'm not crazy. I expect we will be living on this for several days. Honestly, that's the best part."

"I've never eaten leftovers 'till I lived here. They're not my favorite..." Draco admitted.

"Christmas leftovers are on another level. They are special."

Watching her face light up next to him, Draco felt his chest swell with a strange feeling; even stranger than his recent discovery of his attraction to her. "You really get excited about these things."

"What do you mean?" Her smile faded, thinking he was teasing her.

"It's not a bad thing...It's just, I've never seen anyone get so excited about the little things...leftovers at Christmas...eating fish and chips for the first time...snow falling..."

"Oh...those things don't make you happy?"

"They didn't use to." Hermione looked down with a blush at what he seemed to be implying. "Hey, you know what we should do now?" he asked.

"What?" She said, looking back up at his too-close face. In her wine-clouded state, she found her eyes dropping to his mouth without her mind's permission. Realizing what she was doing, she shook off his arm and moved towards the mess of pots in the sink. "Clean up?"

"Yeah, we should clean-up...and also, we should try and get the dog smell out of here. I'm sure Christmas dinner will taste much better without the aroma of urine surrounding us."

"I've been meaning to deal with that. I think only magic will work, so I'll be on my own." She searched her mind for a reason he should stay a little longer, torn by the desire for him to do so, and the fear of that desire. "You could- you could help me decorate. While I clean."

"Alright."

"With all the holiday rush at work, and training smarmy new employees, I didn't have time," teased Hermione.

A tree had already been set up weeks before, but it, like the rest of her apartment, remained undecorated. Draco, having never been allowed to decorate his own tree (due to his mother's adamance on perfection), was excitedly getting out all the ornaments. Hermione chuckled and set to work deodorizing the house with her wand. Not being the housekeeping sort, she had to resort to a book of housecleaning spells to help her out. It was soon done, however, and she breathed fresh air in her apartment for the first time.

She joined Draco at the tree and began placing tinsel on the tree branches, very precisely, to his annoyance. They continued around the house, placing lights, candles, and garlands (and poured themselves the last of the wine), until the entirety of it was Holiday themed. When Draco was busy placing a runner on her dining table, she magically conjured a bit of mistletoe to hang in the hallway, giggling to herself in the process. When they ran out of things to put up, Draco convinced her to change her wall, carpet, and furniture colors to match the rest of the decorations. "You're a witch. Change it with magic, and change it back when you want," he reminded her when she protested at his suggestion (but really, she was secretly grateful he'd come up with another reason to stay longer).

Draco kicked over a glass of wine when they both were bent double laughing at the outrageous gold color she'd changed her sofa to. Next came a not-so-subtle silver, and after that, a battle between Slytherin green, and Gryffindor red.

"For Gryffindor!" Yelled Hermione from the floor, waving her wand and watching as the walls all changed to the red hue. Draco wobbled over to her on his knees, to lazy (or too tipsy, she wasn't sure) to actually stand and walk, and gave her his trademark smirk.

"It's going to be Slytherin green, actually."

"Oh, says who? You? Mr. Can't-do-magic?" Her hands were on her hips, but the effect wasn't quite the same with her butt on the ground.

"Yes, me...Or else." He proceeded to remove her shoes. It took her a moment to register what he was doing in her somewhat inebriated state. She dissolved into giggles as he ran his finger from her heel to her toes.

"Oh, stop! Stop, stop stop!" she yelled, falling into her back. "My feet are too ticklish!" Her legs involuntarily jerked, but he held his grip.

"If you don't change it to green, I keep tickling! And I wonder...if your feet are this ticklish, how about...your sides?" He grinned and moved his hands to hover over her ribcage. Hermione waved her wand sloppily, and the walls changed to a neon green.

"That's not-" He began, but was cut off by Hermione's laughter. Taking advantage of his moment of distraction, she made a move to get away from his tickling hands.

"Oh, no you don't!" yelled Draco, pinning her down by her arms.

Hermione's breathing stopped as she realized how close he was. He seemed to realize this too, and the playful look he'd worn a moment ago vanished. And if she wasn't imagine things, he was moving closer...

All former fears and doubts were miles away. She wondered what was going through his mind. Was he as aware of how the temperature had seemingly risen a hundred degrees in the few seconds since he had pinned her?

He moved his right hand from her arm and slid it behind her head, causing her heart to beat wildly. His mouth was merely an inch away...and she could feel his breath on her face. It almost a shaky as her own breathing.

_"Riiing! Riiiing! Riiing!"_

The moment was gone, and Draco removed his hand and backed away as Hermione rose in shock, retrieving her mobile from her purse.

"Hello?" She said, forgetting to check the I.D. Her heart was still beating at 90 miles an hour.

"Darling, are you coming to get us? I thought you said you'd be here at 5?" asked a comforting voice on the other end.

"Mum! I'm so sorry! I forgot...What time is it now?"

"Almost 6. Don't worry, we have survived worse things than tardiness," joked Helen Granger.

"I'll be there in 15 minutes, I still have to pack."

"Alright, take your time. We just weren't sure what was going on, since it's so unlike you to forget. Are you alright?"

Hermione blushed. It _was_ unlike her to forget something like this. She was usually a stickler for schedules and timetables. However, throw a flirtatious and tipsy Draco Malfoy into the mix, and apparently her mind turned to mush. "I'm fine, Mum. I'll see you soon."

She looked up once she'd ended the call. Both of them seemed to have found and clung to the last region of sobriety in their mind, as Draco was standing ten feet away, and looking very alert.

"I thought you were going to the Weasley's?" He inquired casually, as if he hadn't just had her pinned to the ground a moment ago.

"I am. But my parents are going too, and they can't get there unless I take them by side-along apparation."

"Ah..." said Draco, nodding in understanding. "Will the Weasel be there?"

"Yes." She pursed her lips at the thought. It had been nearly two months since they'd seen each other. Would he be ready to be a platonic friend?

"I'm sure the Prophet had some badly written and factually incorrect article covering it, but I didn't read it. So I actually don't know how you and the Weasel split. I hope you don't mind me asking..."

"I don't," said Hermione softly. "It was me who ended it. I just...I felt smothered, honestly. And I didn't feel valued. An odd combo, I know."

"Do you still have feelings for him?" asked Draco seriously.

"No...I mean, I still care for him as a friend. He'll always be one of my best mates. He's just a terrible boyfriend," She admitted, chuckling nervously.

"Somehow I'm not surprised," he said. "And your decision wasn't influenced by, someone else? As in, you had feelings for someone else?"

"Well, I didn't. Not back then," She said, and then stopped herself from continuing. Apparently, the wine was still in partial control. "Anyway, I should really get packed, and go get my parents. I'll see you tomorrow?" They made their way to the door.

Something appeared to catch Draco's eye, and he looked up. "Mistletoe," he commented, in an amused voice. "I don't remember putting that up..."

"Oh, I must have done that when I got out the garlands, I should take it down-" she moved to take her wand from her pocket, but he placed a hand on her arm to stop her.

"You should leave it. Every Christmas needs some mistletoe." He grinned. She both thanked and cursed the fact that they were not actually under it.

"See you tomorrow, Granger. Have fun over there. Tell Wonder Boy and his girlfriend 'Happy Christmas' for me, will you?" He asked sarcastically.

"Goodbye, Malfoy," Hermione said, ignoring his question, and closing the door in his face.

**I guess you guys were due for a bit of 'dramione' :) Hope you enjoyed! Review please!**


	19. Chapter 19: The Uncertain Interaction

**Hello! First and foremost, I want to offer my sincere apologies for basically abandoning this story for two years :( But I have a real reason! I got a real job, a grown up one, and then I moved, and then...Ok, so I guess I'm just making excuses. But I'm back! And excited about wrapping up this story for ya'll.**

Chapter 19: The Uncertain Interaction

"Have you talked to my brother even once this evening?" inquired Ginny, finding Hermione in the kitchen refilling a snack tray.

"Why yes I did. We talked for quite a bit just 20 minutes ago, didn't you notice?" She answered innocently.

"You know which brother I mean. Have you talked Ron?"

Hermione grabbed the tray she'd refilled. "I'm busy. Molly needs help."

She rushed into the living room and laid the plate down with the other tasty treats on the coffee table. Feeling a pair of eyes on her, she glanced up to see Ron looking at her from across the room. He was in conversation with Charlie, but whatever he'd been talking about was forgotten as he continued to stare at her. She gave him a small and polite smile, then rushed back into the kitchen with an empty cider pitcher.

Ginny was waiting for her. "You're avoiding him," she accused.

"Of course I am. Do you know what happened last time we talked?"

"So what, big deal! You guys have a romantic history now. Well, you've also got another history, 7 years of being best friends. I'm sick of you guys avoiding each other."

Hermione sighed and put her hands on Ginny's shoulders. "Don't you think I want the same thing? I miss Ron...but I already tried to go back to the way things were. He wasn't ready. I don't want to go down that road again until I'm sure where it will lead."

Ginny looked at Hermione in exasperation. "What, and so ignoring him is the right answer to that?"

"No, I just don't know what else to do. Any step forward with him results in two steps back."

"What are you going to do for the rest of the evening then?" Ginny inquired.

Hermione looked down for a moment before answering. "Well, I won't be staying the whole evening so it won't really be an issue..."

After several seconds of staring piercingly at Hermione, Ginny practically shouted, "You're sneaking off to see HIM, aren't you!"

They both knew that "HIM" was not her brother.

"Stop yelling!" She attempted to quiet her friend. Whispering, she said, "Yes, I'm going to see Draco. He's alone. He can't see his family. And he can't see any of his friends-except me."

"But you're leaving us? For him?" Ginny looked incredulous.

"Look, I love you guys, and I love spending Christmas with you...but this is not about that. It's about doing the right thing. No one should be alone on Christmas."

Ginny nodded reluctantly.

"You're a much better person than I. I know you said he's changed, but it's still.." she lowered her voice to a whisper again "_Malfoy_."

"I know. But it's not just that he's changed...even the person we thought he was? We didn't really know him. There's this whole other side to him, maybe it's been there all along. He's funny, and smart, and thoughtful..." She trailed off, trying to find the right words to capture who she had discovered underneath his rough, annoying and cocky exterior.

"Oh, God. You like him." Ginny didn't even bother asking, and instead stated it.

Hermione turned bright red, and said defensively, "yeah, well, Neville says it's nothing to be ashamed of."

"I have to sit down...this is just weird." She grabbed blindly for a kitchen chair and plopped into it. "I can't believe you like him!"

"Well, I'm also still in shock about it. But that's not important. I'm not going to let it be important. I'm just going to have a Happy Christmas dinner with a friend, and nothing more."

"Speaking of which, how are you going to sneak off without anyone noticing?"

"I actually do have to leave pretty soon, to take my parents to another party at their friends." She grabbed the empty cider pitcher and filled it from a giant vat. "I'll say goodbye to you before I go, don't worry."

She rushed into the living room and nearly mowed over Ron, who was walking into the kitchen.

"Hermione, I'm sorry!" he exclaimed as apple cider spilled everywhere, including onto her.

"It's ok, Ron, it was an accident."

"Let me help you," he offered, summoning a rag, he handed it to her, and picked up the now broken pitcher. Hermione used her wand to clean up the spill on the floor.

They stood silently for several seconds. Just as Hermione was coming up with a good excuse to flee, Ron asked, "So, how have you been? You're in muggle London now, right?"

"Yeah, it's great there. I'm doing great. Thanks for asking." Again, she got ready to move around him, but he continued.

"How's your new place? Does Boots like it?"

At his mention of Boots, Hermione's face grew soft again. "He ran away," she said in a low voice.

Ron didn't hesitate to pull her into a hug, whispering, "I'm so sorry...I know how much he meant to you." He let her go and looked at her kindly.

"I'm still not giving up hope. I think he would like my place if he gave it a chance. It's on the ninth floor. Great view. It just smells like dog pee. Or did."

She felt a buzz in her pocket and took out her cell phone. Glancing quickly at the name without Ron seeing, she saw it was a text from Draco.

"I've actually got to go, Ron. But thanks for-well...thank you." _How do you say thank you to someone for acting ;ole a civilized human being?_

She found a quiet corner and took out her phone in time to read, '_what time should I come over_?' before the lower battery warning flashed and it died. Looking up from her phone she saw Harry nearby and caught his attention, motioning to the kitchen. Borrowing his phone, she texted Draco quickly before saying goodbye to Harry.

"Ginny tells me where you're off to so early."

"Yeah, I- well, I just didn't think it was right for him to spend Christmas alone."

"Say hi to him, from 'Potter'," Harry smirked.

"Thanks for understanding, Harry," she smiled, hugging him.

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><p><strong>Ok guys! I'm so excited to type this again: Please Review! I know my writing is probably a bit rusty since it's been a while :**


	20. Chapter 20: The Unmasked Character

**A/N: I'm back again! See, I haven't forgotten you :) Enjoy this latest installment!**

**A/N: The hardest thing about writing this story is the stupid chapter titles! I didn't know what I was getting myself into. **

Chapter 20: The Unmasked Character

"Thanks a lot, Granger. Now Potter has my phone number," Draco spoke as he walked into her flat, not bothering to knock.

"And a Happy Christmas to you too," answered Hermione, huffily.

Secretly, he was glad that Potter had allowed Hermione to use his phone to contact him, Draco Malfoy, of all people. The phone had probably been destroyed afterwards, though, knowing their history.

His eyes grazed over the mistletoe from the previous night, and he tried not to focus on the knot that had settled permanently into his stomach. Hermione approached him (from the side, instead of the front, which would have put them both under the mistletoe, he noticed), and took his bags from him that he'd brought over.

Following her to the kitchen where she set his things down, he placed a hand on her shoulder, "Hey, I'm only teasing. Happy Christmas." She turned to face him cautiously, and he gave her a tentative grin, which she returned.

They set to work heating all the food again, some by magic (done by Hermione, of course), and some by the oven (insisted upon by Hermione, who claimed that some foods had to be done that way to get the right crispness). Draco set the table and uncorked another bottle of wine, hoping for the same results as last time.

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><p>When he was completely stuffed with food, and announced so, Hermione gave him a smile and heaped another helping of each item onto his plate. When he had announced that he couldn't possibly eat anything more, she got out the pudding and made up a plate for him. When he claimed he wouldn't ever be able to move again, she stood, and pulled him from his chair into the living area, and plopped him onto the couch.<p>

"What's this?" he began objecting as she turned on her a movie. "There's no color in it."

"It's a Christmas classic. I watch it every year with my family. It's called 'It's a Wonderful Life', and it was made when they didn't have colored film."

She turned down the lights and pressed 'play'.

"Where are the people? Why are there only white dots?"

He heard her sigh in the darkness. "They're stars, Malfoy. The people come later. Just..._shh_. and pay attention. "

He smirked, and leaned back.

The movie was very good, and he found himself almost completely engrossed in it. Almost. Except, he also kept thinking of her slender arm so close to his on the couch. At times he felt the fine hairs of her arm brush against his, sending goose bumps up and over his entire body. He could hear her breathing during the silent parts of the movie, and the smell of her shampoo kept drifting over every time she moved even a little.

The movie ended too soon.

Afterwards they opened their presents together, taking turns. Draco had been surprised at the number of presents he had gotten. Two from her (A book on Monet, featuring his lily pad paintings, and Slytherin green scarf), one from Amelia (A beautiful silver watch with a leather wrist strap), and even one from Harry Potter (A bag of candy from Weasleys Wizard Wheezes). He had received a package from the ministry containing a present from his parents as well, but he'd opened it earlier in private. It had been a photograph of his family when he had been no more than three. Even his father had been smiling. Narcissa must have found a way to freeze it, as it looked no more magical than a muggle photograph.

He watched nervously as Hermione opened her gift from him. She held up a little green and blue cat collar with silver fish embroidered on it.

"I-I don't understand..." she started.

He found himself unable to look her in the eyes. "Well, I just thought that after New Years, we could take a day and check out all the animal shelters in the area. We could start with the one around the corner from here. I have a good feeling about it. And, if we don't find Boots this time, we can pick up a little guy to keep you company in the meantime, and to be a new friend when we do find Boots." He looked up to see that she had tears forming in her eyes. "I just know how important it is to you."

She threw her arms around him. "Thank you," she mumbled into his shoulder. When she let go, he had turned a fine shade of pink. He didn't know whether to feel relieved that his plan was in motion, or to feel guilty for adding to the lie. _It's ok!_ he told himself. _They'll be reunited soon, and that's what important._

"I also got you these, but I didn't have time to wrap them. They came in on my last shift." He held up a pair of delicate earrings that had miniature golden books on them. "I saw them and just knew they had to be yours."

If possible, her smile grew even bigger. She took out the pearls she had put on for the day, and replaced them with the little books. "They're perfect."

Draco's heart swelled with affection for her.

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><p>It was almost midnight when Hermione finally closed her apartment door, having said goodnight to Draco. She let herself fall over the arm of her couch, her legs dangling over the end. There had been a tension in the room all night between them. Not in the bit unpleasant either. When their arms had brushed during the movie, she had almost expected sparks to shoot off.<p>

And she hadn't wanted the evening to end. They'd stayed talking for hours after they opened presents, regaling all the stories from the Weasley gathering, and about the party she had dropped her parents at. Draco had told her about the Christmases at his house growing up, before his father had changed.

Finally, when they had finished off their tea and hot cocoa, they'd reluctantly parted.

She stared at his gift to her on the coffee table. When she'd opened it, she hadn't known what to think about the suggestion of another cat. It had grown on her though, in the last several hours. She imagined a little gray kitten. Maybe it would sit and purr on Malfoy's lap in this very room as he sat on her couch.

"Oh, drat!" she said aloud, seeing that he'd left his gift from Amelia next to the cat collar. Throwing on her shoes, she sprinted out her door.

After nearly a minute of knocking, he finally answered the door. He cracked it open, barely wide enough to see her.

"Hermione?"

"Draco, hi."

"Missed me already?" He smirked.

"No, well, you see you forgot one of your gifts." She held up the watch.

"Oh, thanks," he uttered, taking it from her. She glimpsed his bare shoulder and realized he wasn't wearing a shirt, then looked down for a moment, suddenly feeling embarrassed.

"I figured you weren't asleep yet."

"Nope."

"...K, well, I'll see you."

She began to head in the direction toward her apartment when she felt a hand catch her shoulder. Turning, she found the door open, and Draco had stepped partway through it.

Her heart hammered strangely, and she looked up expectantly.

"Wait..." He gulped. "I-I didn't get a chance to tell you...I don't know how to say how much today meant to me. I mean, 'Thank You' just doesn't suffice." Taking her hand in his right one, he covered it with his left, like it was something rare and precious. "This was the best Christmas I've ever had. Even with my parents when I was younger."

"Really?" She asked, smiling with genuine joy. "I'm so glad I could make it special. I really wanted that for you...I shared all the things that have always made it a meaningful time for me."

"Well, I'd say it was more who I was spending it with that made it special." He paused for a moment before continuing. "And I never would have thought that person would be Hermione Granger." He was giving her the strangest look now, and she felt his thumb gently stroke her hand.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she looked away from his face. When she looked back, his gaze was intense, hopeful, waiting...

_Waiting for me to say something_, she realized.

"Draco, I-" She bit her lip, trying to find the words. How had he become so special to her? So important? How could she tell him what he meant to her? No words came to her, and so she did the first thing that came to her mind. Draco seemed surprised when her arms grasped him in a tight hug, but his arms immediately went around her too. They held each other for a long time.

Then she felt him tentatively press his lips to the top of her head.

Backing her head up a fraction, she looked up at him in surprise. He was still looking at her with a strange and wild intensity. Slowly, his face came closer to hers. He hesitated for a moment, and she found herself stupidly thinking of the mistletoe she had hung in her apartment_. _Then, his lips pressed gently to hers, and she forgot about the mistletoe entirely.

When his head moved back to evaluate her reaction, she reached a hand up behind his head, stood on her tip toes and softly kissed him back. Both were breathless when she stepped away.

He looked as surprised as she felt at her actions. But it only last a moment. He pulled her into his apartment by both hands and shut the door, breathing heavily as he stared at her.

He took one step toward her and closed the space between them.

"..I can't believe this is happening..." He mumbled before lowering his mouth onto hers, and wrapped his arms around her waist. Her arms wrapped around his bare shoulders, and she pulled him close to her. His kisses were gentle at first, tentative, and then deeper and more urgent. She found herself responding with the same urgency, her hands moving over his chest.

Time passed, she didn't know whether minutes or hours, but soon he was breaking the kiss to pull her towards his couch a few feet away. He pressed her into the couch, kissing her intensely, and she curled her legs around his, eager to be close to him. Changing tactics, he moved to kiss her neck gently, and she shivered at the way his lips ghosted over the skin. Placing a few soft kisses onto her lips, he then pulled his face back and looked at her. His hand cupped the side of the her face, and his thumb gently stroked her cheek as they smiled wordlessly at each other.

Something strange brushed against her cheek. Something strangely furry.

"_Meow."_

Turning her head a fraction, she found herself staring into the eyes of her cat, Boots. A mixture of confusion and shock washed over her.

"Boots?" She looked quickly at Draco for an answer, but saw, instead of shock, eyes laden with guilt and panic. Suddenly, everything clicked.

"Hermione, this looks bad, I know." He was pushing himself up off of her as she scooted away from him.

"Oh my God, Malfoy, has he been here this whole time?" Her blood was boiling in her veins, and she couldn't get enough air. Standing, she gathered Boots into her arms, who had begun to rub her legs at the excitement of seeing her.

"Well, yes, you see-" Began Draco in explanation. "I, well...I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry..." He looked up dejectedly.

" I can't believe I let you kiss me... I can't believe I liked you, considered you my _friend!_" She made to leave, but turned back and slapped him with her free hand. Slamming his door behind her, she fled to the safety of her apartment with Boots, threw herself onto her bed, and sobbed.

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><p><strong>There it is! They have finally kissed! Please Review :)<strong>


	21. Chapter 21: The Unforeseen Confidant

**A/N: People have commented about how Hermione shouldn't be asking for approval from her friends for who she dates. I totally agree that that's the case for any normal situation with friends. Although friends do often have valuable insight and opinions that one should take into consideration (remember, love is blind, oftentimes!), overall, I think that people should respect their friends choices in who they date. HOWEVER. This is a post-war situation, in which Harry and Neville and especially the Weasleys all had family and friends KILLED by the enemy. An enemy that Draco and his family very much supported and were directly involved in. I'd say that means that Hermione should want to make sure her best friends are ok with this. I hope that explains why I chose to write the characters this way.**

**Also, the reason Hermione is so upset is not just because he hid her cat, but because he betrayed her after she gave him a chance and trusted him.**

**Anyways, I do appreciate all the reviews and critiques, because it definitely makes me look at the way I've written characters, and I did tweak a few things to hopefully make it more realistic :) Thank you!**

**Without further adieu, here is the latest installment (And one of the last!)**

Chapter 21: The Unforeseen Confidant

"Here you go, your favorite," Hermione reassured Boots. Picking him up, she plopped him in front of the dish of the fancy feast. With a swish of his tail, he turned up his nose and walked away.

"Come on, Boots!" She ran after him, cornering him in her room by her bed. Giving her a very disapproving look, he ducked under the bed frame and out of her reach.

It had been almost a week since they'd been reunited, only it hadn't been the glorious and happy one she'd imagined. Boots was listless and was barely eating. The apartment didn't smell anymore, but the cat would scratch at the door constantly to be let out. She knew where he wanted to go, but she wasn't letting her thoughts dwell on that particular individual.

They hadn't seen each other, which had been a miracle given their working situation. They had one overlapping shift, but Hermione had been able to switch with someone.

She hadn't had any visitors to distract her, except for Ginny, who had come over to visit the day after Christmas. Hermione had cried on the couch as she told her friend the whole story. The redhead had been livid with anger.

"I _joked_ about someone being mean enough to steal Boots, but it turns out that little cretin actually did it!" She was fuming as she shoved popcorn into her mouth."How could he treat you like that? He got all chummy with you, then puts the moves on you, all while hiding your cat from you the whole time!"

Hermione sighed. "Let's not talk about it now. I don't want to cry anymore." She placed Boots in her lap and scrunched her hands into his thick, soft fur for comfort. "I've got Boots back, and that's the most important."

Ginny had dropped it, but Hermione could tell by the look of concern in her eyes that she was worried about her still.

She spent the week trying to engage in all her normal activities. Only, there was a problem. She'd been doing everything with Draco since almost the day she'd moved into her apartment. From going to the mall to buy herself a new winter scarf, to reading a book she'd gotten from the library, it all reminded her of Draco. _I miss him,_ she confessed to herself. That was a bit of a problematic realization, as she currently also wanted to throttle him.

Finally, after much aimless wandering around the apartment, she remembered she actually had an unread book not obtained from the library: Luna's book on cats. She settled onto her reading chair and worked her way through the chapters over the next few days.

By the end of the week, she had learned that certain breeds of domestic cats were sensitive to magic, and that once a cat became acclimated to magic, they actively sought out individuals with the ability. She also learned that the bond formed between a wizard and a magic-sensitive cat was especially strong. If a cat in such a condition was separated forcefully from a wizard for which it had formed a strong bond, it could suffer withdrawal and depression if not dealt with.

"Oh dear," she sighed, looking to the cat bed where Boots currently lay, staring dejectedly out the window. "This is not good..."

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><p>Draco watched Hermione arrive at the bookstore for her shift from the safety of the towering shelves. A gap between the books allowed him an unobstructed view. He'd offered to stay an extra half hour to help out Meredith. Or at least that's the reason he'd given to her.<p>

He'd knocked on Hermione's door multiple times over the few days following the awful events in his apartment. There hadn't been any answer, and he assumed she'd glanced in the peephole on her door, seen him, and subsequently ignored him. His attempts at phone calls had gone similarly.

Hermione smiled at Meredith, who was manning the cash register, but Draco observed that it was an empty smile. Beautiful, but sad and empty. He resumed organizing the books as Hermione disappeared into the back room to clock in.

_Merin, what am I doing?_ He chastised himself. _I'm spying on her like a bloody stalker._ Placing two books into the empty spy hole, he walked out from behind the bookshelf just as Hermione emerged.

She was tying her apron on, and had almost run into him when she looked up and noticed him.

"Draco!" All the color drained from her face as she stopped abruptly, almost losing her balance.

"Hermione." Stated Draco, simply. He reached out a hand to steady her before he could stop himself. It looked as if it physically pained her to have his hand touch her, and she jerked away as if burned. "Look, can we talk, please?"

"I have to go. I can't-" She looked panicked. "This isn't a-"

"It's ok," Draco interjected. They couldn't talk here anyways. It was too public. "I'm about to leave." Taking one last look at her face (since it would probably be a while since he'd see it again), he walked past her to the back room to clock out.

She was in his hiding spot, partially behind the bookshelves, when he emerged again. He felt her eyes on him as he walked to the front door.

He'd have to try something different next time. And he had the craziest idea.

* * *

><p>Harry Potter was pouring hot water over darjeeling tea leaves he'd gotten from Percy Weasley when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Casually, he pulled it out to see who'd texted him. He glanced at the screen, and almost dropped his phone into his tea.<p>

It was from Draco Malfoy.

"What the-?" He burst out.

'_Hi Potter. Its Malfoy. I know u probably hate me again, but I also know ur the only one who can convince Hermione to talk to me. Im desperate.'_

He set down his phone and stared at it for a moment.

Ginny had talked to Harry about what had happened. He had been livid at first, but he'd also felt they were missing something. Maybe Malfoy would be able to explain. Not only had Ginny conveyed Malfoy's betrayal but she'd also shared her concern at Hermione's sadness and listlessness that mirrored her cat's.

After his initial resistance the night of the musical, he had wanted Hermione to be right about Malfoy having changed. It had seemed like he had, after everything they'd found out. The slytherin probably wasn't completely innocent, of course, but he knew if there was a chance that this situation could be mended, he was the only one in a place to get that healing going right now.

He picked up his phone and began to type.

* * *

><p>'<em>Ok, Im giving u a chance to explain ur self.'<em>

Draco had been holding his breath for almost the full 2 minutes between sending his text, and receiving the reply from Harry. He let it out in relief, realizing he might have a chance at this.

'_Would u be willing to meet me? Not at my place, Hermione lives on my floor.'_

It was nearly ten minutes before he got a reply this time, but he wasn't in suspense now that he had gotten a positive first response.

_'Yes. Where?'_

Draco thought for a moment before replying. All of the places he might suggest were places Hermione had shown him.

'_Fancy some French food?'_

* * *

><p>Draco was seated inside the French restaurant he'd taken Amelia to on their first date. It was literally the only place he'd visited without Hermione, and the least likely place he would run into her. Looking up, he saw Harry appear at the front of the restaurant, and the host showed him to Draco's table.<p>

He stood abruptly and offered his hand, trying to start things off on the right foot with the-boy-who-lived (Also, the-boy-who-was-his-only-chance). "Harry."

Harry took the hand that was offered and shook it apprehensively."Mal-" He started, then instead said, "Draco. I should call you Draco."

"I really appreciate you coming to meet me," began Draco. "I know me and you in particular have a pretty bad history. I'm sure you're surprised I contacted you at all."

"That's actually why I decided to come. I figured if you were willing to meet with me, then you weren't the Malfoy I knew back at Hogwarts."

"Well, apparently there's still some of him left in me," said Draco, looking down. "I messed up. I really hurt her. I was trying to change...and I feel like I am different. But...I didn't know how to fix things, and it got out of hand."

"Hermione told Ginny the gist of what happened," said Harry. Draco wondered how much detail had been included, and if Harry Potter was now privy to the fact that he had snogged Granger pretty thoroughly before all hell broke loose. "I think you were a complete git for all that happened, but I also felt like we were missing some of the story. I want to hear it."

They ordered desserts and coffee, since it was too late for lunch and too early for dinner, and Draco began his story from the beginning. He explained how he'd felt in the muggle rehabilitation program before he'd met Hermione, how he'd wished he could take back so many things. How he hated himself for those things.

Then, Hermione had shown him that he, Draco Malfoy was worth something, and that life was worth enjoying too. She had believed he could change, and that belief had helped him more than anything. The mistake he'd made in the beginning, keeping Boots from his ambiguous owner, had snowballed into something he hadn't known how to fix without giving her up.

"I know now...I should have done the right thing. Once I knew what that right thing was, and I admit it took me a while to get there, I should have given Boots back. Even if it meant losing her. But at least I'd have her respect." Draco finished.

Harry had been silent for most of the story, only asking a few questions.

"Is that really how you feel?" asked Harry.

"Yes..." He started to say, then stopped. He looked down. "It's how I wish I felt. But at this point, I would do anything to get her trust and friendship back. Even go meet with you at a bloody, romantic french restaurant in Muggle London," he joked, and Harry let out a small chuckle. Draco grew solemn again, and said, quietly, "Losing her was the worst part."

Harry seemed to be considering something for a moment. Then he said, "I was shocked when Hermione first told us you two were friends. She always spouted forgiveness and acceptance after the war, and although I agreed with her, I didn't ever see that extending to a friendship with my former enemy. But now I see that she was right all along. Even if she's too angry right now to see that, I think she just needs some time, and maybe a helpful nudge from me. She's Hermione Granger - she'll come around. And of course, I'll stop by and talk to her soon."

"Thanks Potter."

"It's Harry, remember?" He offered his hand to Draco as they stood to leave the restaurant and part ways.

"Thanks Harry," he repeated, smiling, and shaking his hand again. "I don't think I've apologized for being a git to you too, yet. So, just so you know, I am. Sorry, I mean."

Harry grinned. "Glad to hear it."

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><p><strong>Alright, read and review please :) I'll be finishing this story up very soon, but motivation is always nice. And reviews are always VERY motivating!<strong>


	22. Chapter 22: The Untoward Assailant

**A/N: Hey everyone! Big thanks to those who reviewed: viola1701e, Arabella, Mischief, DramioneAddiction, and Eleanor (who I am also assuming was guest?), you guys are the best! Also, side note to Eleanor, the bit about Yoga being Chinese in ch. 11 is Amelia's misunderstanding, not mine, but thanks for the note :) AND thanks for the review right before it, it truly made my day! **

**Hope ya'll enjoy this next installment! It's a bit shorter, I know, but I'll try posting again soon! **

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><p>Chapter 22: The Untoward Assailant<p>

Ron Weasley was standing in the kitchen at the burrow, shoving a piece of pie in his mouth when his sister walked in.

"Yes, 'Mione, I promise I'll ask Luna when I see her next," she gabbed into her phone. "Hey, listen, I was thinking perhaps I could come over tomorrow and talk about everything. It's been almost a week and a half now. It's time we got you out and about. And I can't wait to show you the ring! It's huge!" She looked up, finally noticing her brother, and gave an acknowledging wave. "Listen, I've got to go, but I don't care how much you fight me, we're going to have a girl's day, and you're going to enjoy yourself. Bye for now."

"Is 'Moine ok?" Ron asked through a mouthful of pie.

"Oh, yeah, she's just having some boy trouble," said Ginny casually. Her eyes widened as she realized what she had said, and she slapped a hand over her mouth. "I shouldn't have said that."

Ron felt his hands clench in balls at his sides as he tried to remain calm. "She's...seeing someone?" He had his suspicions after the Christmas party when she'd run off, and he'd definitely heard an implicating conversation about Neville Longbottom between her and Ginny before he'd knocked the cider out of Hermione's hands.

"Well, if she was, she's not now," was all Ginny relayed.

"What happened?"

"Let's just say the prick royally messed up, and deserves an arse-kicking." Marching up the stairs, she went in her room and shut the door.

The following morning at Auror training, Ron was practicing a new shield technique with Harry. He tried as casually as he could to bring up the subject of Hermione.

"So, Harry...Ginny mentioned Hermione's been a bit down?" He was concentrating so hard on saying the right thing that he almost lost control of his shield.

"Oh, Ginny told you about it?" asked Harry, somewhat surprised.

"Uh, yeah, a bit," fibbed Ron. "I'm worried about her," he continued, "Have you seen her lately?"

"The Christmas party, where you saw her too, Ron."

"I meant before that." He wasn't sure what he was looking for.

"Well, aside from the musical, not much." His eyebrows went up at Ron's blank look. "I told you, surely. Me and Gin, and Hermione and Neville, we went to a muggle musical a little less than a month ago. She seemed fine then, though a little confused by her new...relationship."

Ron tried to look relaxed, but his head was starting to spin.

Harry flung a stunning spell, and it shattered the shield, hitting Ron full force in the chest.

* * *

><p>"Thanks for coming by, Harry. I appreciate it...but I'm really alright. I'm doing much better." Shuffling around her kitchen to make tea, she stepped gingerly over Boots, who was laying lethargically in the center of the floor.<p>

"'Moine, I don't care what you say, I know you. And, well..." He said, gesturing to her, "you haven't been yourself lately."

"Harry..." Hermione started.

"-no, Hermione, listen. I think that you should talk to Malfoy...I think you should hear him out, at least. He...actually, he wanted to meet up with me. Talk with me."

Hermione's head shot up in surprise. "Dra-Malfoy did what?"

"Yeah, his phone had my number from that time you used it to texted him. He contacted me, and he wanted to talk."

"And...did you?"

"Yes. And it was Bloody weird, but I'm glad that I did. He's an alright bloke, after all."

Hermione nodded silently, gazing at Boots through the kitchen entrance. "I agree with you, Harry, about talking to him. I've known for a few days now that I need to."

"Really?"

She sighed in admitted defeat. "Yes. It started with that book Luna lent me. The one about cats. Sometimes Luna's theories are just ridiculous...but this time she was spot on. It's a bit complicated, but it looks as if Boots is a breed of cat that acclimatizes to magic. Specifically, a particular individual's magic."

Realization donned in Harry's eyes at this. "Malfoy."

"Yes. And, the awful thing is that if a cat like Boots is taken away against their will from their individual, then...well, this happens." She gestured to Boots, still staring dejectedly at the floor. "With me, it was his choice to leave to escape the awful dog pee smell that was here when I moved in. But with Draco, he was forced."

"Well, I mean, it makes sense you would want Boots to do better, but what about you?"

"I suppose, after realizing about Boots, my disposition towards Draco in general softened enough to consider his side of the story. It seems he was working on a way to unite Boots and I again, but of course without implicating himself as the reason for our separation. Probably to prevent any anger I would have towards him. And another indication of him being changed, of course is what you told me today, that he wanted to meet with you. And..." She tried to think of a logical way to explain the last part of her reasoning, but couldn't. "...well, I miss him. I miss him so much..."

Harry put down his tea and pulled her into a hug. "Well, that's something you both have in common."

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><p>Somehow, it had been nearly 3 weeks and Draco was still finding cat hair on his things. It was a painful reminder of what had happened that he didn't need on top of the crushing loneliness. It had been almost 4 days since he'd talked to Potter, and still not a peep from Hermione.<p>

Either Potter was taking his sweet time, or Hermione was still just too angry with him. He wasn't sure about Harry's procrastination habits, but he was counting on the former.

Today, he was attempting to distract himself by filling his time by stacking his library books in order of his favorites. He'd been off his shift at the bookstore for just an hour and already his thoughts were dwelling on a certain bushy-haired girl and her orange cat.

_Knock knock_

Leaping to his feet, Draco fairly ran to the door in his hurry. _'It's her, it has to be her!'_ he excitedly told himself. And logically, who else would it be?

He yanked open the door, and the hopeful expression faded.

A wand was pointed in his face. And holding that wand, was none other than Ronald Weasely.

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><p><strong>AN: Thanks for reading! Please Review :)**


	23. Chapter 23: The Undaunted Endeavor

**A/N: Alright guys, here it is! It took forever to write, as the writing bug seems to have NOT bitten me lately with inspiration for this story. But I was determined, and also I totally have nothing else to do since I am stuck at home on doctor's orders. Thank you for all the lovely reviews! They definitely helped with finishing this up. You guys have been awesome, and I hope you enjoy the last installment!**

Chapter 23: The Undaunted Endeavor

Although Hermione's advice to move on had been great, putting it into practice was a whole different story. Amelia found herself for the 10th time that day, peering through her door's peephole upon hearing a door in the hallway open. She wasn't stalking, she told herself. Just trying to contrive a situation in which she would bump into, engage in conversation, win over, and marry Draco Malfoy.

Every ten minutes or so, she'd talk herself out of pursuing her handsome ex-boyfriend. This was especially easy when Steve from the customer service desk at work would come chat with her in the breakroom, however, left to her own devices again, she would get stuck on the molten silver of Draco's eyes, and the platinum blond sheen of his sleek hair.

Glimpsing those two things through her peephole, she put her hand on her doorknob to open it. The red cap of hair partially blocking her view made her hesitate, though, and she continued to stare in confusion as the figure brought what looked like a twig up to Draco's throat. _What the hell?_ she asked herself. Pressing her eye even harder against the peephole, she strained to see them as they disappeared into his apartment, leaving the door wide open.

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><p>"Well, well, if it isn't the Weasel. To what do I owe this pleasure?" Draco asked, as Ron stood in front of him, shaking in anger, wand still aimed at his throat.<p>

"Shut it, Malfoy. Don't play dumb, you know why I'm here!"

"You should probably put that away," Said Draco, eyeing Ron's wand hesitantly. "This is a muggle building."

"I don't care if this is a ruddy muggle building!" Ron shouted.

Draco swallowed nervously, and felt his pride wither as he bit back a scathing insult. "Look, Weasel-be, let's just take this inside, where-"

Ron cut him off, jabbing his wand into his neck harder so that Draco was forced backwards. "What. Did you do. To Hermione."

"Watch it, Weasley."

Ron dropped his wand in favor of grasping the collar of Draco's shirt firmly in his left hand, and lifting him a millimeter off the ground. "You're going to pay for hurting her!"

"Look, I didn't mean to hurt her, I was just trying to-" Draco started, but was cut off by Ron.

_WHACK_

Draco felt Ron's right fist connected with his jaw.

"Bloody hell! Stop! Let me explai-"

_WHACK_

Another blow landed on his right side, catching his cheek and his nose. A burst of pain nearly blinded him, and he doubled over, clutching his face.

"Stay away from her!" Ron stood over him menacingly, waiting for Draco to cave. "Say it, say you'll stay away from her!"

"No," Draco said softly from the floor. His nose was bleeding freely, and he felt his head spin. The redhead towered over him, the hours of quidditch and 3 full, nutritious meals a day making him a painfully stronger opponent. But Draco had made up his mind, and he wasn't going to give up so easily.

A flash of movement by his open door made him look up to see Amelia's frightened face. She backed away, her hand over her mouth, and disappeared. _Figures_, he thought.

He felt himself being lifted up, only to be punched again and again, and again. In the gut, in the face, in the chest. Over and over, until he lost count of how many times Ron's fist had met with his now bruised flesh.

"Say you'll stay away from her! Say you'll never hurt her again!" Ron demanded.

"Ron?!" A familiar female voice sounded from the door. Ron let go of Draco, and the blond sank to the floor unceremoniously.

"'Mione? Harry?"

Draco chanced a peak through his swollen eyelids and saw them both, along with Amelia, standing stunned in the doorway. And then, the most magical thing of all happened. Hermione, upon seeing him on the floor, beaten to a pulp, raced over to him and wrapped her arms around him.

"Oh my God, Draco!" Soothing hands caressed his broken face, and he smiled at her, wincing as he did so.

"Granger, you miss me?" She couldn't hold back her smile of relief, but then it was gone as she looked pointedly at Ron.

"Ronald Weasley, I can't even begin to express my disappointment over this." Hermione stood slowly, careful not to jostle Draco in the process.

"But 'Moine, he deserves it! I know he does. You know he does!" Ron insisted.

"Ron, stop being so juvenile. Just because of your past with him is no reason to-" Began Hermione.

"I'm talking about him and you!" Interrupted Ron in frustration. "I've no idea how you'd fall for the ferret in the first place, but somehow it happened, and he hurt you, 'Moine...And he deserved every bloody punch I gave him for that."

"How did you even find that out?" Hermione questioned.

"-Wait, Draco, you're dating your own cousin?" Asked Amelia in disgust.

Hermione turned to the confused brunette and gently nudged her toward the door. "Amelia, you should go. This is, um...family business." When Amelia had shut the door behind her, Hermione turned back to Ron, waiting for an answer.

"I sort of...pieced things together, after the Christmas party, and may have overheard Ginny on her mobile-thing. But I swear, it wasn't like this at first...all I knew was that someone had broken your heart." At this, Draco looked down awkwardly. "Then I thought you were dating Neville, because of the date to that stupid muggle play."

"It wasn't a date, Ron." Hermione said, nervously glancing at Draco again, whom Harry was helping onto his couch.

"Yeah, I know. He told me. He told me you had a thing for Draco Malfoy. I thought he was crazy at first, but then he told me you were living on the same floor at your new place."

Hermione's brows knit together in concern. "He promised he wouldn't tell..."

"Um..." Ron grew red. "I may have threatened to hex him if he didn't tell me."

"Ron!"

"Well, can you blame me? You guy's didn't tell me anything! All I knew was that somehow Draco Malfoy was involved with you, had hurt you, and Neville was the only thing in my way to coming here and making him pay!"

Hermione sighed. It was a moment before she spoke again. "Ron, I'm sorry I didn't include you. Look, I had to keep it from everyone else as well. Draco is here on a rehabilitation program. I'm not even supposed to know about it. The ministry wasn't planning on my moving to muggle London six months after Draco. But it happened."

"But he did hurt you, right 'Mione?"

"Yes, he did, er...well, he accidentally stole my cat, and then kept him from me so I wouldn't get angry with him, and would keep him as his friend."

Draco couldn't help the hope that seeped into him at the casual way Hermione mentioned the whole fiasco.

Ron, however, was looking at them all in disbelief. "Wait..._That's_ what all this was about? A stupid _CAT?_ Merlin!"

"Don't call Boots stupid!" Said Hermione sternly.

At the same time, Draco yelled, "Oy, who are you calling stupid!"

Ron looked at them in a resigned way, and put up his hands. "All right, I'm sorry. I won't insult the cat."

"Ron, you can't do things like this..." She moved away from Draco and Harry and lowered her voice. "I still care about you, Ron, but we're not together any more. You can't be my knight in shining armor."

Ron sighed. "I know...I keep trying to accept that. I still care for you, but I don't want to lose you as a friend either."

"You won't, Ron. That could never happen," she said, smiling encouragingly.

"I'm sorry, 'Moine...I really am. Forgive me?" He asked.

She looked pointedly in Draco's direction. "I'm not the one you should be apologizing to."

Ron looked like he'd rather face a tank full of flesh eating slobberworms, but he turned dutifully to Draco. "Merlin, I can't believe I'm doing this, but Malfoy, I'm sorry I attacked you, even though you bloody well deserved it for some of the shit you put us through before, I guess this time, you didn't deserve it."

Draco eyed the hand Ron extended warily for a moment before taking it. "Apology accepted."

Hermione turned back to Ron, beaming. "Alright, well, I'd like to talk to Draco alone, I'll see you later, Ron." She walked him to the door.

"Ok, 'Moine, but just promise me you aren't planning on getting back together with him," He heard Ron ask.

"That's none of your business, Ronald. Goodbye." She said, shutting the door with finality. "Harry, I've got it from here. Thank you for the lovely talk earlier. I really appreciate it."

Harry, who was in the middle of healing Draco's bruises and abrasions, stopped and turned to Hermione. "You sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. It's probably best that I deal with his nose, as it looks broken."

"Alright. Take care Malfoy, Hermione." And then he too was gone, and it was just the the two of them left. He immediately felt his pulse quicken.

* * *

><p>The door closed behind her, and Hermione felt her heart speed up in nervousness. Seeing him again, and in such a state, did much more to hear heart and head than she had anticipated when she had considered talking to him about the series of events that had led up to their predicament.<p>

She took a seat next to him, gently examining his face with her cool hands.

Wordlessly, she healed the remaining bruises and abrasions, then touched her wand to his nose lightly, and muttered, "Episky." With a pop, his nose righted itself, and stopped bleeding. She had almost finished cleaning the remaining blood away when Draco took hold of her fluttering hands, and laced his fingers through hers.

"Hermione...I'm so so sorry..." He began.

"Draco, it's alright. Harry came and talked to me, and...I may have overreacted in the moment." She smiled at him in encouragement.

"No, it's not all right. What I did was selfish, and wrong...and back then I didn't care that it was wrong." He squeezed her hands affectionately. "_You_ made me care, Granger." She smiled in response. "And then I let you down. You gave me a chance to be a decent person, to be your friend, and I let you down."

He stopped talking, and looked down, at a loss for what to do next. Hermione let go of his hands and took his face in both of hers.

"Draco Malfoy, I have no doubt in my heart that you are a decent person. Not just decent, but a good person. Someone I want in my life." She waited for him to look up and meet her eyes again. "Let's put this behind us, and be friends again?"

"Yeah, let's do that," He said, gratefully. "Merlin, I've missed you..."

Hermione pulled him into a hug, and his arms wrapped around her tightly. "I've missed you too. And so has Boots," she said, smiling into his shoulder.

Draco pulled back and stood up, suddenly, pulling her up with him. "Well, come on, let's go visit the person this is really all about," he said with a lopsided grin.

* * *

><p>Draco pulled a giggling Hermione down the hall and to her flat where Boots was. The cat perked up immediately upon seeing his favorite wizard, purring and rubbing his legs in affection until Draco picked him up.<p>

When his clothes were thoroughly covered in orange cat fur, Draco put down the cat, and turned to Hermione again. Something above her caught his eye, and he looked up. The mistletoe from their night of Christmas decorating was still tacked to the ceiling.

He didn't stop to question why that one piece had been left behind in the apparent cleanup that Hermione had done to her flat, but instead took a surefooted step forward. Her smile faltered only slightly as he took another step and stood right in front of her, and her eyes flitted up to the Mistletoe above them too, suddenly realizing why he was standing so close.

Before she could react, his arms circled her waist, and he lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her deeply. Slowly, her arms crept around his neck, pulling him closer.

_And this time,_ he thought to himself, _there'll be nothing to interu-_

"Meow!" demanded Boots, rubbing their legs so they would pay him attention again.

The End!

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><p><strong>AN: So I realize I totally want to do an epilogue to this, and I already know what I want to do :) I hope you guys enjoyed this story, and that you'll enjoy the little wrap-up epilogue I'll be posting soon. I have another Dramione story that's partially done (I admit, I totally worked on it when I was lacking inspiration for this one), so look for that in the very near future as well :) Thanks again for reading and for all the reviews!**


	24. Epilogue

**A/N: Hi everyone! Here's the wrap up to this story, I hope you like it :) this story, even though it took a while, has been so fun to write! Thank you for all the Reviews, and for sticking with it this long. **

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><p>Epilogue<p>

Joe Thompkins stared suspiciously at the two people sitting before him. He should have expected something shocking, but this had caught him completely by surprise. Draco Malfoy's calls and meetings, starting this time last year, had been increasingly outlandish in their announcements. First had been the muggle girlfriend, second had been that he was applying to Muggle university, then that he was moving closer to the University 'to participate in the social activities,' were his exact words_._

All in all, Joe was very pleased with the success of his rehabilitating delinquent. In the beginning, he'd floundered worse than any of his other subjects, but here he was, soaring above them with his success.

But now, Joe Thompkins was faced with a legal quandary. Here was a former blood purist wizard, actively seeking a community in the muggle society, but also breaking one of the biggest rules of the whole program; complete disassociation with the Wizarding World. Granted, he was associating with the most famous Muggleborn witch of their age, the ever professional Hermione Granger. _But rules are rules! _he reminded himself.

"Mr. Thompkins," began Hermione, "I understand the reason for the rehabilitation program's separation from the Wizarding World. And I respect those reasons. However, I believe that Draco Malfoy's association with me is a positive influence on his road to acceptance, appreciation, and integration of muggle society in his life; all of which are the goals of this program." She looked at Draco.

"And, as you yourself stated when I first started this, the ultimate goal is for staunch blood purists, like my former self, to see muggleborn witches and wizards as equals to purebloods. And I could say now, without a doubt, that I have come to that conclusion," Draco finished.

Joe Thompkins was silent for a moment or two. "I suppose I could petition for an exception to be made, however, I'd like some definitive proof that these improvements are being-" He stopped, and saw clearly, for the first time since they'd all sat down in the cramped living room of Draco's university dorm, the scene before him. He noticed how closely the two young people sat, how their hands were nearly touching, and how every time Hermione opened her mouth to speak, Draco would look at her in a very particular way. Almost as though he were...in love. "Actually, Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy, I hate to pry, but what is the nature of your newfound...association?" Joe found himself asking.

The two looked at each other and smiled. Draco spoke first, still keeping his gaze on Hermione. "Well, I've fallen in love with her...and we're dating."

Joe Thompkins nearly choked on the sip of tea he'd just taken. "Really? That's certainly an interesting development. May I ask how this occurred?"

"Certainly," answered Draco, lacing his fingers through Hermione's now that their relationship was out on the table. "We were both enrolled in Political Science courses at LSE, to our surprise, and spent a great deal of time together, studying, and getting to know each other again. It was like a fresh start, and we found that we actually have a lot in common. And well," He squeezed her hand affectionately, "The rest is history."

"Hmm," began Joe Thompkins, "This will look very good for your petition. I'll put it through straight away."

"Thank you sir," replied Draco.

"Yes, thank you Mr. Thompkins, I truly appreciate you taking the situation into consideration," added Hermione.

Joe Thompkins drained his tea and rose to shake their hands. "It was a pleasure meeting you Hermione, and of course, Draco, always good to see you too. I'll keep you updated on this. " He turned to leave, then paused and faced them again. "And be aware, if the petition does not go through, you'll have to completely stop associating, and there may be time added to your rehabilitation, Draco."

"Yes, I understand. But I have a good feeling about this," He assured the older man, walking him to the door. "Until next time, Mr. Thompkins."

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><p>The door shut, and Draco and Hermione looked each other with sly smiles on their faces. They waited until they heard the elevator doors close, carrying Joe Thompkins out of hearing distance, before speaking.<p>

"Somehow, I don't think that Arthur Weasley is going to object to a petition about Hermione Granger," Draco surmised, pulling his girlfriend into his arms. They'd learned of Mr. Weasley's position as the head of the rehabilitation office from Harry only a few months before.

She laughed and gave him a brief kiss before saying sternly, "You're incorrigible, Draco Malfoy."

"Actually, I think you'll find, according to my most recent report from Mr. Thompkins, that I'm the opposite. Allow me to present exhibit A," He stated, smirking. Before she could object, he was firmly pressing his lips to hers in a heated kiss, pushing any witty response she'd been formulating completely out of her mind.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! I have a totally random question, but I was curious, if you paid attention to the titles of each chapter, which was your favorite? Mine was 'The Untoward Assailant'. Anyways, let me know what you thought of the story as a whole! And I'll be posting my new story soon :)**


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